The South East Asia Travel Show

Travel and tourism in South East Asia are heavily stat-driven. Indeed, 2024 is turning out to be a year of shouting loudly about milestones and 2019 catch-ups across the region. So, this week, Hannah and Gary assess 8 hot numerical topics, taking us to Singapore, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, China and Japan. En route, we deconstruct the 2023 total of 100 million arrivals to South East Asia, and analyse the Q1 figures in key markets. Thailand is out front in ASEAN, while Japan is breaking monthly records in North East Asia - with strong support from South East Asian travellers. Plus, will the 6-nation ASEAN border-free travel visa get off the ground? When are Vietnam's 2 high-speed rail routes to China slated to begin construction? How has Malaysia achieved an 85% growth in cruise port visits compared to pre-pandemic? Plus, how many passengers rode the China-Laos railway in its first 12 months, and why is the 4th tower at a Singapore tourism icon gaining media coverage across Asia Pacific? 

As sustainability targets in aviation gain sharper focus, airlines and governments in South East Asia are racing to implement strategies. These range from sustainable aviation fuel levies to in-house trainings. With news this week that Malaysia plans to implement a carbon levy, Hannah picks the perfect time to discuss a broad range of issues with Philip See, Group Chief Sustainability Officer & CEO of Loyalty and Travel Solutions, of the Malaysia Aviation Group. This compelling chat takes us back to the pandemic when Malaysia Airlines, Firefly, AMAL and MASWings were restructured and recapitalised, and the subsequent strategy shifts in operations, marketing, ancillary services - and sustainability. The discussion dives deeply into key issues around SAF, such as production, procurement and formulation, and whether costs will be passed onto passengers. Philip also discusses socially sustainable initiatives, such as recruiting and training female aviation engineers and pilots, and environmental issues that extend beyond emissions, such as managing waste.

Well, we’ve completed the first quarter of 2024 – where did that go? March was another frenetic month, with plenty of travel and tourism news, statistics, announcements and pronouncements. So where is South East Asia at exactly 2 years after the region began to reopen after the pandemic? Gary and Hannah discuss March’s Top 8 talking points, with stop-offs in Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines and China. En route, we analyse potential legislative shifts for Marriage Equality and Casino Gaming in Thailand, Singapore's World’s Best MICE City campaign and Vietnam's Q1 arrivals surpassing the same 2019 period. Plus, illegal resort development in a protected area of the Philippines, the launch of AirAsia Cambodia and Bali's Tourism Tax leakages. And is China this year's hottest outbound destination for South East Asian travellers?
 

Welcome to our new monthly mini-roundup of the key moments from The South East Asia Travel Show’s recent editions. The March rewind features red-hot talking points including ASEAN's domestic and international flight recovery, Indonesia's most popular outbound destinations, the opportunities for adventure travel in Laos and China's remarkable inbound tourism policy shift. We also discuss Thailand's Prime Minister becoming the nation's pre-eminent tourism salesman, and the passing on of travel costs to tourists and travellers around the region. Plus, could Vietnam build a high-speed train connecting Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City in just five hours? Many thanks to our expert guests this month: Pauline Suharno in Indonesia, Inthy Deuansavanh in Laos, Brendan Sobie in Singapore, James Clark in Australia and Yereth Jansen in China.

"It is my dream for Laos to be at the centre of adventure eco-tourism in the region." Laos is a beautiful land-locked nation clad in forested mountains, but its adventure and eco-tourism sectors are still developing from a low base. This week, Gary and Hannah welcome Inthy Deuansavanh, Head of Vientiane-based Inthira Group, which owns and operates eco-minded hotels, resorts, restaurants and adventure travel experiences throughout Laos. A lifelong hiker and camping enthusiast, Inthy's journey began by opening a restaurant for tourists before he pioneered adventure-based eco-tourism and the Green Discovery Sustainability Fund. Inthy talks about the evolution of sustainable tourism experiences in Laos, and why the nation needs more eco-conscious tour operators. He discusses how the China-Laos train is opening up exploration of remote areas of beauty, and the importance of involving local communities in the tourism eco-system. Plus, what is the ‘Coffee in the Sky’ experience? And which country provides the most tourists for Inthira's adventure activities (clue: it may be a surprise, although celebrity social media influencers are a key driver)?

Indonesia is by some margin the largest country, with the largest population and largest economy, in South East Asia. It also counts a fascinating interplay between inbound and outbound travel and a vast domestic travel and tourism sector. This week, Gary and Hannah welcome back Pauline Suharno, President of ASTINDO, the Indonesian Travel Agents Association, to discuss the overall recovery in 2023, and the outlook for 2024. En route, we discuss the hot destinations for outbound tourists, the continued high cost of domestic air tickets and new travel packages for passengers jumping aboard the Whoosh high-speed rail. Plus, what's the current status of development for the 5 Super Priority Destinations? Will destinations welcome a record number of domestic travellers for the upcoming Lebaran (Eid al-Fitr) holidays? And what are the key areas to be addressed for the promotion and development of Indonesia's travel and tourism sector?

From Changi's statistical milestone to a festive travel renaissance and Taylor Diplomacy to Thailand's 'Tourism Salesman'. As  the end of Q1 2024 draws near, we move towards another major milestone. Nearly two years ago, on 1 April 2022, South East Asia began to fully reopen after the dark days of the pandemic. So, how has the first quarter of 2024 panned out, and what were the key takeaways? This week, Gary and Hannah assess the Top 8 travel and tourism talking points from throughout the region in the first three months of 2024. En route, we discuss the debut of China's C919 aircraft in ASEAN, the Thai PM's tourism pitch at ITB Berlin and higher passenger service charges in Malaysia. Plus, we look at AirAsia's plan to launch new airlines in Singapore and Vietnam and its parent company's goal of listing on the Nasdaq later this year. And we garnish each talking point with the region's latest travel statistics.

Today marks 4 years since the WHO declared Covid-19 a global pandemic on 11 March 2020. We know what happened next, especially in Asia Pacific where the impacts on travel lasted longer than elsewhere. So where is South East Asia's air travel recovery currently at – and what is the outlook for the rest of the year, and beyond? To discuss these big questions, Gary chats with Brendan Sobie, Founder of Sobie Aviation and one of the region’s most prolific aviation analysts. The discussion covers the entire aviation, airline and airport landscape. Which markets have achieved a full domestic recovery and which haven't - and will they ever do so? Is the 'post-pandemic honeymoon' period for large airline profits ending? And how are legacy carriers and LCCs positioned for the next phase of realignment? We look at the 5 busiest international airports in Asia Pacific, and the traffic shifts as competition re-intensifies. And, we address the evolution of air fares, which are moderating but "still significantly higher overall than they were". Plus we discuss higher costs for airlines, and how this makes managing yields more challenging. And we analyse the growth outlook for the region's mega-markets, China and India, influential markets, such as the Middle East, Central Asia, Japan, South Korea and Australia and intra-ASEAN trends.