Jewel of a deal for Trip.com
Jewel Changi Airport and Trip.com have agreed a three-year partnership to promote travel through the Changi aviation hub.
Jewel will leverage Trip.com’s extensive global network to reach a wider international audience, encouraging travel to Singapore and more visitors to Jewel.
From January to June 2024, overall footfall at Jewel increased by almost 15% and the number of foreign visitors by more than 20% compared with the previous year.
Until 7 October, Trip.com is presenting an interactive travel-themed pop-up event at Jewel titled Traveller’s Wonderland. Four displays showcase iconic attractions of China, Japan, the UK, and Thailand.
Jewel and Trip.com will also launch a Light & Music Showcase in October, designed by Los Angeles-based water feature designer WET.
Ding-dong Airbnb battle in HCMC
Owners of Airbnb rental properties in Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City are under pressure from apartment building management boards who have been posting warning signs indicating that “the use of residential apartments to operate hourly or short-term rental services is against the law”.
Long-term apartment residents have listed their grievances with local media, including complaints about rental guests visiting the incorrect unit, pushing the wrong doorbells, and in some cases, getting drunk, banging doors and making noise late at night.
Long-term tenants also object to rental visitors having access to building facilities like fitness centres and swimming pools.
One Airbnb investor said,” Many people who acquired units for commercial purposes did so through bank loans and spent hundreds of millions of dong on furniture now face considerable difficulties, including the worst-case scenario of losing it all.”
dLocal has a new partner
Cross-border payment platform dLocal has finalised a partnership with global travel tech company, kiwi.com.
The collaboration is expected to help Czech Republic-based kiwi.com to extend its global reach by enabling seamless payment solutions in regions such as Africa, Asia and Latin America.
At the core of kiwi.com’s growth is the company’s focus on making payments hassle-free, including customers in emerging markets.
The partnership with dLocal unlocks a seamless payin-solution across 25 countries. Payment options include various cards, bank transfers, mobile wallets and other regionally preferred methods.
Co-working space checks-in at Melbourne Airport
Aerofoil Workspace is opening a co-working space at Novotel & ibis Styles Melbourne Airport.
Located on Level 1 of Novotel & ibis Styles Melbourne Airport, Aerofoil Workspace offers two levels of co-working space and a range of flexible memberships and workspace options to choose from, including hot desks, dedicated co-working desks, private offices, executive boardrooms, meeting rooms and quiet spaces.
Aerofoil Workspace membership also includes access to Higher State, a new health and wellbeing club, hotel style reception services and three dining facilities.
Providing 24/7 access to members, Aerofoil Workspace can be accessed by non-members during business hours.
Olé, Olé: Nomads get paid to roam in Spain
Remote workers will be paid to move to Spain’s countryside under a new digital nomad programme.
The Regional Government of Extremadura—an autonomous community in Spain— has released information regarding its new initiative, called “Live in Ambroz”, which offers remote workers up to €15,000 (around US$16,620) in grants to relocate to Ambroz Valley, a rural area of Extremadura, for at least two years.
Extremadura is a little under a three-hour drive from Madrid and about two hours from Portugal.
Gojek puts the brakes on in Vietnam
Indonesian ride-sharing business Gojek will halt operations in Vietnam on September 16 as part of parent company GoTo’s “growth optimisation strategy”.
Despite holding a 7% market share since its 2018 entry, Gojek has struggled against dominant players in Vietnam, like Grab.
Gojek Vietnam accounts for less than 1% of GoTo’s Q2 2024 transaction value.
