The South East Asia Travel Show

Well, we reach two milestones this week. We are halfway through 2020 – and what a year it’s been so far!! – and this is also our 25th podcast, so Happy Anniversary to us. To celebrate, Gary and Hannah revisit their 20 for the 2020s Travel Wishlist – which featured in the first podcast of the year back in January. Since then, of course, travel and tourism in South East Asia – and worldwide – has endured the most difficult 6 months in modern history. With some countries slowly starting to reopen for domestic travel, it's time to accept that 2020 has been a tough year for travel forecasting. How many predictions did we get right...? Listen to find out.

As The South East Asia Travel Show approaches its 6-month anniversary, here's our brand new trailer detailing some of the key issues we've discussed on the pod - and the various ways for listeners to get in touch and join the debate. For more information, visit us online at www.theseasiatravelshow.com

Malaysia Truly Asia remains one of South East Asia's most enduring tourism campaigns, but Malaysia emerges from successfully suppressing COVID-19 with several question marks over its travel sector. Uncertainty exists for its flag carrier Malaysia Airlines and the region's largest LCC AirAsia, annual arrivals haven't shown significant growth for a decade and both inbound and outbound players await news on border reopening. For now, domestic travel offers a chance for tourism businesses to rebuild confidence among Malaysian travellers, and earn much-needed revenue - but demand currently appears low. This week, Hannah and Gary take a deep dive into the challenges ahead for Malaysia's inbound, outbound and domestic travel sectors, and analyse the entrenched issues for rebooting the nation's vital tourism economy.

Airlines, aviation, and by extension, airports… What a mess! This week, Gary and Hannah attempt to unpick the complex interplay of airlines, governments and travel bans that is confusing travellers across South East Asia. The early post-COVID recovery is plagued by bailouts, air bubbles that haven’t come to fruition, governments announcing and delaying the lifting of travel bans and different states within countries being treated or responding differently. We’ve got quarantines, high fares, flight cancellations… and very little guidance from ASEAN. Is there a route map for rebooting air travel in South East Asia?

Cambodia counts the second-lowest total of COVID-19 cases in South East Asia. This week, Gary and Hannah discuss whether this rising tourism star can leverage its COVID-safe status once it fully reopens. In 2019, China was its largest inbound market, followed by Vietnam. Three other South East Asian countries ranked in the Top 10. The show discusses key factors that will influence future travel to Cambodia from China and South East Asian markets, suggests creative sales & marketing tactics for travel companies and tour operators, and analyses consumer sentiment and booking trends in the region. 

This week, Gary and Hannah discuss all things Vietnam. The country's success in containing the coronavirus has made it the most talked about destination in Asia. But Vietnam also counts thriving domestic and outbound travel sectors, and its airlines are expanding aggressively. Sustained GDP growth, a young population and expanding middle class make Vietnam a South East Asian all-star economy. Tourism benefited from this surging economic momentum, but what are the opportunities and challenges in a post-COVID world? And when will Vietnam reopen its borders for international travel?

This week, Gary and Hannah take on one of the most polarising topics in travel: the role of the media. The 24/7 online and TV coverage of COVID-19 has resulted in accusations of media sensationalism, and featured a heavy concentration of statistics and information from government sources. As the travel sector looks to a brighter second half of the year, what role will the media play in the next phase of the recovery? How will travel brands, NTOs and intermediaries seek to leverage different media platforms, and how will consumers respond as they prepare for unprecedented shifts in the travel landscape?

The return of Chinese travellers is global travel’s hottest topic. This week, Gary and Hannah discuss whether South East Asia might serve as a benchmark for the recovery. All destinations are desperate for the return of Chinese spending power, but several overlapping factors need addressing before China opens its airspace for outbound flights. So, we break the subject down into 5 key areas: Developments in Chinese Domestic Travel; China’s Government; Airlines; Chinese Consumers and South East Asian NTOs.

This week, Gary and Hannah discuss 8 travel and tourism developments in 2020 that flew under the COVID-19 radar. South East Asia entered the pandemic as the world's most dynamic tourism region. Although the entire infrastructure of travel has been shutdown by the pandemic, many intriguing developments still occurred. Topics discussed range from proposed high-speed rail networks to UNESCO World Heritage applications, and unearthed ancient treasures to new airports and, perhaps an 11th member of ASEAN.

In this episode, Gary interviews Mac Patel, JAPAC Regional Sales Director for OAG, a global leader in flight information and intelligence. The broad-ranging discussion covers the impact of COVID-19 on airlines and airports, and the "strategic decision-making" needed across the travel sector in Asia Pacific. We address several key issues, including LCCs, Long-Haul, Airline Restructuring, Hub Airports, Major Air Markets, Travel Bubbles, Intra-Asia Travel, Health Screening and the infamous "Middle Seat".