The South East Asia Travel Show

As we accelerate towards the mid-point of 2026, the warning signs continuing showing up. On our Start the Weekend show, Gary and Hannah discuss new data analysis about the impacts of airline cuts in South East Asia - and what this might mean through October and beyond. And, then... El Niño is coming! The UN Meteorological Office has issued new details about the warming sea temperatures and shifting air currents we can expect from June onwards. These will bring hotter temperatures and prolonged dry periods to South East Asia and India, and, potentially, larger rainfalls in China, South Korea and Japan. So, what could this mean for daily living and travelling across the Asia Pacific region? Plus, we look at why Cambodia has referred its maritime border dispute with Thailand to the United Nations, mixed signals for inbound and outbound travel in Indonesia, and a long-running financial dispute between the Philippines and AirAsia appears to be settled. Plus, we dig into the reasons why Singapore is teaming up with Chinese digital mapping service Amap.

So, the fifth month of 2026 is complete - and it was another one dominated by the impacts of the US/Israel war in Iran/Lebanon. This week, Gary and Hannah recap May's top 8 travel takeaways from across ASEAN and beyond with stopovers in Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines and Cambodia, plus China, India and the UK. En route, we discuss flight route cuts across South East Asia, China, Japan and South Korea, and look at whether plans for an ASEAN reserve stockpile of crude oil would ease future jet fuel shocks. Meanwhile, visitor arrivals slowed in key markets and cratered in Cambodia and currency values fell sharply in Indonesia and Thailand. On a brighter note, carriers in Singapore and Malaysia are seeing growth on routes with Australia and Europe. Plus, we assess the surge of Indian tourists to Vietnam, and address the potential benefits of Xiaohongshu's impressive tourism tie-up in Singapore

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"Even if 75% of what Vietnam is planning comes together, it won't just become the second-biggest economy in South East Asia but one of the Top 20 worldwide." Vietnam's ambitious national transformation involves major expansion of its travel, tourism and transportation sectors - and huge investment is being staked by the government and its largest companies. But there is confusion.... On the one hand, Vietnam has set an official target of 50 million annual arrivals by 2030, while also making a pledge that tourism strategy will target high-spending visitors. Meanwhile, it welcomed more than 2 million inbound visitors in each of the first four months of 2026 for the first time. So, what happens next? This week, Gary and Hannah take a deep dive into all things Vietnam with special guest Mike Tatarski, Ho Chi Minh City-based founder of Vietnam Weekly. We cover a lot of ground, including the continuing development of resorts, theme parks and MICE facilities on the island of Phu Quoc, which will host the 2027 APEC Summit. We look at which inbound markets are driving growth, with China, India, South Korea and other ASEAN nations all playing their part. Plus, we asses the high cost of domestic flights and the changing digital payments landscape. And, we ask when the much-touted North-South High Speed Railway will start construction? When will the giant new Long Thanh International Airport actually open? How will passengers actually getting to and from it, and which airlines will be the first to take off and land?

"There's a significant amount of downplaying the risk level to the public, but those striking disembarkation scenes with hazmat suits and water showers on the MV Hondius cruise ship tell us how seriously the WHO is taking this outbreak." Zoonotic viruses are back in the headlines six-and-a-half-years after Covid was identified in China. So too are terms like "Contact Tracing," "Mask Wearing" and "Breaking the Chains of Transmission". Gary and Hannah kickstart the week by taking a closer look at the unresolved questions and issues around the Hantavirus outbreak. We move on to Manila, where the ASEAN leaders discussed - and kicked down the road - a proposal to create a shared South East Asian fuel reserve to mitigate future energy shocks. Meanwhile, Singapore launched its annual swathe of new tourism initiatives and investments and AirAsia played coy about its coded intentions in the hotel world. And finally, we head to Bangkok were Pokemon is taking its IP tourism play to mainland South East Asia. Are countries simply adopting each others' ideas? All this and much more...

NB: There have been 6 confirmed cases (plus 2 probable) and 3 confirmed deaths so far - correcting the mortality figure mentioned in the podcast.

Why is Thailand considering a second tourism tax? Could the Philippines rescind its decision to scrap an outbound air travel fee? Which ASEAN airlines are cutting the most flights from May-July? And is India's outbound growth story hitting an energy-crunch roadblock? Those are four of the key questions Gary and Hannah ask and answer on our Start the Week show. To kickstart the May holiday week, we head to Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines and Myanmar via India and South Korea to tackle the 6 top regional talking points. En route, we also discuss the implications of Thai Air Asia's domestic flight cuts - and the downgrading of its two-hub model in Bangkok. Changi T3 undergoes a major makeover as a tech-enhanced testbed for T5, and Grab begins cross-border ride-hailing services. Plus, Malaysia makes a play for healthcare tourists from Myanmar, and - much to Hannah's delight - Baby Shark arrives in Singapore for new IP Tourism collabs.