Bangkok - This year started out on an optimistic note for tourism in South-east and East Asia.

But after a strong first quarter, arrivals slowed, first on rising oil prices that peaked at 147 dollars a barrel in July, and then the the financial tsunami broke in the US in October and quickly spread to Europe, Japan and South Korea.

Tokyo - Having grown up during years of economic slumps and now seeing their country in a recession, young Japanese are bucking their national image of being globe-trotters and are preferring to stay at home.

Home is not only more comfortable, but overseas travel has lost the allure that it used to have.

"The number of young Japanese [customers] has dropped notably in the last years, and that's crucial for us," said Yumi Isozaki, a spokeswoman for the Japan Association of Travel Agents.

Hong Kong - "It's a buyers market," Malcolm O'Brien said. "There's bargains out there if you have the money to spend - at least in the short-term."

O'Brien is not talking about property, or stocks - but holidays and particularly holidays in Thailand and Vietnam.

With occupancy rates falling as hard-hit travellers ditch their holiday plans, hotels are slashing their rates to fill rooms rather than see them go empty, said O'Brien, head of traveller feedback with Lonely Planet Asia-Pacific.

Johannesburg  - A South African holiday does not have to include a stay at a luxury safari lodge in Kruger National Park or taking an expensive wine tour in the Western Cape province.

Increasingly, tourists of modest means are exploring the country and they can use an elaborate network of inexpensive backpacker hostels and bus routes linking South Africa's attractions.

Sydney  - A rite of passage for intrepid travellers has been a road trip across the Simpson Desert in central Australia.

There are not really roads, of course, just tracks laid down by explorers that help drivers get across the 176,500-square-kilometre expanse. A four-wheel-drive is the only way to go, preferably in convoy, and hopefully with lots of spares and someone handy as a mechanic.

Frankfurt, Germany  - Business travellers should expect to dig deeper into their pockets for airline tickets and hotels next year, according to a survey by American Express.

The study indicates that overall prices are not expected to increase vastly. However, the cost of flying is likely to rise by up to 7 per cent and that of hotel rooms by up to 6 per cent.

The price hike is likely to affect German business travellers even more with flights out of the country to rise by 9 per cent.