The 2022 Oxford word of the year is “goblin mode”. The term, which refers to “a type of behaviour which is unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, slovenly, or greedy, typically in a way that rejects social norms or expectations”, was the first word of the year to have been decided by public vote. “Metaverse” was the second choice, followed by “#IStandWith”. So what are the words that define 2022 in the travel industry, at least amongst the WiT community? And what are the words to live by in 2023? In our annual round-up, we ask our industry friends about the lessons and words from 2022, what they are looking forward to in the new year and the words they want to embrace. Here’s Part 1.
Steve Hafner, CEO and Co-founder, KAYAK
Q: Looking back – one word to describe 2022.
Rebound.
Q: The biggest lesson you learnt from 2022.
Play the long game.
Q: Best trip of 2022 – why.
Stockholm, Sweden. Great to see my mom.
Q: Looking forward – one word to describe 2023.
Opportunities.
Q: On a scale of 1-10, rate how optimistic (10 being most) how you feel about 2023?
7 (and that’s a high score)
Q: What’s the one key thing you’re doing to prepare your business for whatever lies ahead?
Staying lean, nimble and profitable.
Q: What is the biggest opportunity for your business in 2023?
Product excellence.
Q: What part of your job would you like to do more of in 2023?
Dreaming of future growth.
Q: What’s the most exciting new tech you’re keeping your eye on?
Syndicated identity.
Q: What’s the one word you’d like to embrace for 2023?
Peace
Q: The (holiday) trip you’re most anticipating in 2023
St Barts for spring break
Q: What’s the most interesting thing you’ve read or watched that you might not have otherwise?
Bad Guys, which I expected to be a bad kids’ movie, but it was actually pretty funny
Rajesh Magow, CEO and Co-founder, MakeMyTrip
Q: Looking back – one word to describe 2022
Home-economy-focused-world
Q: The biggest lesson you learnt from 2022
Resilience
Q: Best trip of 2022 – why
Maldives after long pandemic break
Q: Looking forward – one word to describe 2023
Optimism
Q: On a scale of 1-10, rate how optimistic (10 being most) how you feel about 2023?
7, especially in India
Q: What’s the one key thing you’re doing to prepare your business for whatever lies ahead?
Focus on growth
Q: What is the biggest opportunity for your business in 2023?
Market Share Gain
Q: What part of your job would you like to do more of in 2023?
No change! On the contrary, might want to take some more time out of the job, if possible J
Q: What’s the most exciting new tech you’re keeping your eye on?
Blockchain, Voice and Chat combo and Metaverse
Q: What’s the one word you’d like to embrace for 2023?
Healthy world
Q: The (holiday) trip you’re most anticipating in 2023
Family Trip post kids’ college
Q: What’s the most interesting thing you’ve read or watched that you might not have otherwise?
Binge watch on OTT
Caesar Indra, President, Traveloka
Looking back – one word to describe 2022?
Reset.
The biggest lesson you learnt from 2022?
Agility – as we move towards travel in a post COVID-19 world, it is important to note that the situation remains fluid and regulations may change easily, disrupting travel plans. We are confident that we will continue to see surges in travel bookings, and will remain agile to evolve with the demands for our users. We are focused on making people feel safe again – to travel and explore the world.
Best trip of 2022 – why?
Seaside village of Kas in Turkey. This particular destination is popular among domestic travellers, but rarely visited by international tourists. While most people whom I met there did not speak English, I enjoyed experiencing how locals live their life at their own pace.
Looking forward – one word to describe 2023?
Promising.
On a scale of 1-10, rate how optimistic (10 being most) you feel about 2023?
7
What’s the one key thing you’re doing to prepare your business for whatever lies ahead?
We continue to maintain prudence in our financial management, while presenting a comprehensive and competitive selection of travel products and services to our consumers.
What is the biggest opportunity for your business in 2023?
Sustainability and the demand for flexibility will only increase and be a key consideration for travellers.
What part of your job would you like to do more of in 2023?
Meet more potential strategic partners who can support Traveloka, to better serve our users in their travel journey, from within or outside the region.
What’s the most exciting new tech you’re keeping your eye on?
I have my eyes on how we can use technology to improve people’s lives and eventually, build a more equitable world for everyone.
What’s the one word you’d like to embrace for 2023?
Sustainability.
The (holiday) trip you’re most anticipating in 2023?
I do not plan that far ahead. In fact, I only decided on my year-end trip a couple of months ago. That said, I would like to explore destinations where I am able to experience new cultures from the eyes of the locals.
What’s the most interesting thing you’ve read or watched that you might not have otherwise?
Recently, I’ve come across an interesting article titled “Why Indonesia matters”, published in The Economist, following the G20. Not only does it mention that Indonesia is a bright spot, being the sixth largest emerging market by GDP and is the largest economy in Southeast Asia, it is also poised to “improve the lives of a quarter of a billion people and spur on a growth-starved world”. This quote particularly resonated with me, and is testament to why we need to focus on this region, as it will continue to draw global attention, optimism and huge potential.
Frederic Barou, Senior Vice President, Online Travel and Market Strategy, Asia Pacific · Amadeus
Q: Looking back – one word to describe 2022
Resurrect
Q: The biggest lesson you learnt from 2022
In front of adversity genuine relationships go a long way in business
Q: Best trip of 2022
Trip to Bali where I finally took my PADI certification and can now enjoy all the beautiful dive sites Asia has to offer.
Q: Looking forward – one word to describe 2023
Accelerate
Q: On a scale of 1-10, rate how optimistic (10 being most) how you feel about 2023?
8
Q: What’s the one key thing you’re doing to prepare your business for whatever lies ahead?
Hire the best possible talents to serve our customers and accelerate growth
Q: What is the biggest opportunity for your business in 2023?
Platform transformation
Q: What part of your job would you like to do more of in 2023?
Spend time with customers
Q: What’s the most exciting new tech you’re keeping your eye on?
Biotech
Q: What’s the one word you’d like to embrace for 2023?
Mindfulness
Q: The (holiday) trip you’re most anticipating in 2023
Japan or New Zealand
Q: What’s the most interesting thing you’ve read or watched that you might not have otherwise?
Any and all Lex Fridman podcasts
Louise Daley, Hospitality Tech/Investor
Q: Looking back – one word to describe 2022
Resetting
Q: The biggest lesson you learnt from 2022
The value of deep conversations
Q: Best trip of 2022 – why
To New Zealand in July to visit some family for the first time in three years…
Q: Looking forward – one word to describe 2023
Focus – it’s easy to get distracted when there are lots of opportunities again
Q: On a scale of 1-10, rate how optimistic (10 being most) how you feel about 2023?
10 – That glass has never been so full
Q: What’s the one key thing you’re doing to prepare your business for whatever lies ahead?
Have as many conversations as possible with smart, generous people.
Q: What is the biggest opportunity for your business in 2023?
To remain agile
Q: What part of your job would you like to do more of in 2023?
Listening to really smart, generous people
Q: What’s the most exciting new tech you’re keeping your eye on?
Web3 tech supporting education – learn and earn
Q: What’s the one word you’d like to embrace for 2023?
Focus
Q: The (holiday) trip you’re most anticipating in 2023
London, Paris, Southern France & Brussels in June
Q: What’s the most interesting thing you’ve read or watched that you might not have otherwise?
It’s not something in particular, but a theme – for some reason I have opened magazines, listened to podcasts and read articles all mentioning psychedelics. I didn’t go looking for it, but there it was. Maybe it’s all the talk about trips…
