The watery fields of vibrant green dotted with lotus pink provide a contrast to the paddy fields in the rural commune of My Hoa in southern Vietnam. For the communities surrounding the iconic lotus lakes, the flower is a gift that keeps on giving. The lotus plant provides seeds, pods, rhizomes and stems to be eaten or sold as food. The picturesque ponds attract tourists by the thousands, who often take boat rides, or indulge in the countryside dishes served at local restaurants.

Last July, Lao witnessed a catastrophe when the Xe-Pian Xe Namnoy dam located on the Xe Kong River in the Bolaven plateau collapsed following heavy monsoon rains. More than 6,000 people were made homeless, hundreds went missing and reports say the official death toll has so far risen to 35.

Oil-rich Brunei is facing a problem: an over-dependence on oil and gas for its revenue. According to the BP World Energy Outlook, Brunei’s oil reserves are projected to run out by 2035. In addressing this issue, one of the sectors the country is looking at to diversify its economy is tourism.Under its 2016-2020 Strategic Plan, Brunei’s Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism targets increasing tourist arrivals from 218,000 in 2015 to 450,000 in 2020.

Hordes of Chinese tourists descend upon an idyllic island paradise. Their boisterous and noisy nature scares away their more “cultured” Western counterparts. For all the resources spent on attracting them to visit, the local tourism industry makes very little from their spending.This is the bane of “zero-dollar tourism” run by Chinese operators. Travel agencies in China offer free or very cheap tour packages, which cover meals and accommodation.

After making a wave of appearances on television shows featuring celebrity chefs getting their taste of tarantulas boiled, deep fried or tempura fried, the popular arachnid has been making its rounds on the Instagram accounts of tourists visiting Cambodia. Sought after for its novelty and peculiar taste, the local delicacy has become a coveted treat and familiar offering on the menus of restaurants and pubs, as well as street vendors in Siem Reap and Phnom Penh.

Blockchain refers to a shared, public ledger of records or transactions that is open to inspection by every participant while not being subject to any form of central control.It is these very capabilities that align particularly well with the characteristics of the airline industry, according to the 2017 report, ‘Beyond the Buzz: The Potential of Blockchain Technology’ by Accenture.

The unique and diverse range of recreational activities and travel options in this region has made Southeast Asia a top destination for tourists.

A van arrives at Angkor Wat Temple and deposits its load of foreigners who make their way to the World Heritage Site. Noticeably absent among them is a local guide. The tourists brought their own guide, a handheld device that can speak up to 14 languages.Developed by local company Angkor Audio, the device enables foreign tourists the luxury of wandering the ancient site at their own leisure without being harried and rushed along by local guides.

Dog meat may not be as exotic as the fugu fish but it can be just as deadly. The risk of rabies and other communicable diseases, such as cholera and trichinellosis, has prompted the Indonesian government to put a stop to the trade in dog and cat meat.Indonesia’s directorate of veterinary public health under the Agriculture Ministry initiated a meeting with the Dog Meat-Free Indonesia (DMFI) coalition in early August to discuss the dog and cat meat trade.

Faced with dwindling tourist numbers from the West, Myanmar is pulling out all stops to woo visitors closer to home. It relaxed visa rules to visitors from China, South Korea and Japan and aims to bring half a million of them over to Mandalay this year.Beginning 1 October, the country is waiving visa requirements for visitors from Japan and South Korea for one year, as a trial run. Visitor growth from these two countries had been stagnating.