"South East Asia is where the excitement is because it is a fast-growing inbound tourism region for Australia." As we approach the 5th anniversary of the WHO declaring a pandemic on 11 March 2020, it's a good time to discuss emerging developments in Australia's visitor economy. This week, Gary welcomes Garrett Tyler-Parker, Director of Analysis & Insights at Tourism Research Australia, part of the Australian Trade & Investment Commission (AusTrade). We discuss Australia's Thrive 2030 strategy, which is transitioning from 'recovery' to 'consolidation' phase, and the variable rates of inbound recovery from key Asian markets. Garrett explains the diverse factors influencing 2024's arrivals statistics from China, India and South East Asian markets. While visitors from Vietnam, the Philippines and Indonesia now exceed 2019 levels, Malaysia's post-Covid rebound has been slow. Plus, we look at evolving trends among holiday, VFR, education and blended travellers, and the growth of investment in travel infrastructure and services. As the dynamics of travel continue to change, we also discuss how Tourism Research Australia monitors social, environmental and institutional, as well as economic, metrics.