Continuing on the momentum built from its series of “Travel Tech Thursdays” in Malaysia last year, WiT (Web in Travel) and My Indie World will return with a fresh roster of quarterly events, in partnership with AirAsia MOVE.
The first event of the new season will kick off on April 23 with the theme of “AI & The Aspiring Traveller in ASEAN” and will be held at AirAsia MOVE’s office in KL Sentral, Kuala Lumpur.
“There is no doubt that AI is changing traveller behaviour globally,” said Yeoh Siew Hoon, founder, WiT.
According to Phocuswright’s US Consumer Travel Report 1H26 on “The AI Surge: Travel’s Fastest Behavioral Shift in a Decade”, over half of US leisure travellers (56%) have now used AI specifically for travel, up from 43% in 2H25 and doubling since 2024.
To mark the third anniversary of its Trip Genie tool, Trip.com Group released findings on how its travellers were using AI, among them:
• AI-assisted bookings surged 400% year-on-year
• Use of real-time AI tools such as menu assistant and live translation increased by around 300% year-on-year
• Asia favours last-minute AI guidance; Europe and North America plan early
“With the first event in Kuala Lumpur, we will explore how AI will play out in the ASEAN market, what trends travel brands are seeing in the region and how the travel industry can market to the aspiring traveller in ASEAN – whether it be through social, AI or communities.
“ASEAN is one of the world’s largest travel markets with a population of 700 million people and is on track to become the fourth largest economy globally by 2030. It represents a great opportunity for the global travel industry to tap.
“Our partnership with AirAsia MOVE, whose home is ASEAN, will bring to light market intelligence, professional insights and personal stories about how this market is evolving and changing. It’s a vibrant, diverse digital eco-system and through our four events, we plan to shed light on the different trends that will drive the region’s growth.”
The series is also timely in light of Visit Malaysia Year 2026 which aims to attract 35.6 million international tourists and generate RM147.1 billion in tourism receipts.
Last year, arrivals to Malaysia topped 26.6 million, one of the few destinations in ASEAN which saw arrivals surpass 2019 levels.
Hannah Pearson of Pear Anderson, knowledge partner of “Travel Tech Thursdays”, said, “ASEAN is also ASEAN’s best market – over one third of all arrivals are within the region, and with intra-regional travel becoming more important this year, in light of the global uncertainty, it is important for travel suppliers in the region to be more targeted and purposeful in their marketing to the traveller in ASEAN.”
By 2030, ASEAN’s digital economy is expected to more than double to $560 billion.
Said Nadia Omer, CEO, AirAsia MOVE, “We are delighted to host WiT’s Travel Tech Thursdays at the MOVE office in Kuala Lumpur. Siew Hoon and the WiT team have been steadfast supporters since the very start of our OTA journey. We are now honoured to take this partnership further – fostering meaningful conversations, sharing industry insights, and building a stronger travel community together. We look forward to welcoming you all!”
The 8th edition of Travel Tech Thursdays — the first for 2026 — kicks off on April 23 at the AirAsia MOVE office in KL Sentral, Kuala Lumpur, where the industry will come together to explore The New & Aspiring ASEAN Traveller. Sign up here.
