The next chapters of Online Travel in Asia: The Untold Story dive into the defining “moonshot moments” that changed the course of the travel tech industry. From Agoda’s acquisition by Priceline in 2007 to MakeMyTrip’s IPO in 2010, and Qunar’s $306 million sale to Baidu the following year, Asia’s online travel sector was no longer a sideshow – it was center stage. Founders like Rob Rosenstein of Agoda and Deep Kalra of MakeMyTrip recall the turbulence of the global financial crisis, the skepticism around Asia’s potential, and how customer pain points with traditional travel agents created opportunities for online players to thrive.
Fuelled by capital inflows and a young, mobile-first population, Asia’s second wave of online travel saw growth at all costs, culminating in bold moves like Ctrip’s investment in MakeMyTrip and acquisition of Skyscanner.
Through this documentary, we’re celebrating 20 years of WiT by chronicling the extraordinary events that have created a golden era in the Asian travel space and shining a light on the people and pioneers who’ve helped shape this robust, thriving, chaotic industry. We’re releasing a few episodes every week, each one tackling a different theme around online travel in Asia, as told from the frontlines.
Watch Chapters 5 – 8 here:
Chapter 5: Show Me The Money
Chapter 6: The Pandemic Years
Chapter 6 looks back at the pandemic years, when travel came to a standstill and the industry faced its greatest crisis. From WiT’s last event in Penang just as borders began to close, to nearly two years without flights or in-person gatherings, the chapter captures the uncertainty, fear, and resilience that defined this period.
Yet, out of hardship came transformation. Companies doubled down on innovation, reset priorities, and leaned on their communities.
Chapter 7: The Story of Asia
For travel tech founders in Asia, one question has always loomed large: Do you need a massive home market to win, or can you stitch together smaller markets into something just as powerful?
In the early days, scale favored giants like Ctrip in China, MakeMyTrip in India, and Traveloka in Indonesia. Others, like Wego, struggled with a pan-regional model. Yet times have changed. With digitalisation, lower barriers, and increasingly connected consumers, a multi-market approach is proving not only possible but effective.
Chapter 8: The Next Rocket Boosters
Experiences and corporate travel – once overlooked parts of the journey – are now emerging as the next rocket boosters in Asia’s online travel story. From Rod Cuthbert’s pioneering days with Viator in 1995, to Klook’s rise as a mobile-first, content-driven, AI-powered marketplace, tours and activities have grown into a $279 billion global “experience economy,” where Gen Z and millennials crave memories over material goods. At the same time, corporate travel is undergoing its biggest generational shift, driven by new tech players, AI, and the blending of work and leisure (“bleisure”). Together, experiences and corporate travel are poised to fuel the industry’s third wave of growth – reshaping not just how we book, but how we live, work, and play on the road.
