From points to personalisation: New trends shaping online travel in Japan
At WiT Japan & North Asia 2025, a panel discussion featuring leaders from Booking.com, Agoda, and travel fintech startup Heymax revealed how the online travel game in Japan is being reshaped by younger travellers, AI-powered personalisation, and a rising demand for authenticity and connection.
[...]
Big bets, bold moves: Investors double down on Middle East’s travel startup future
In a region undergoing massive economic transformation, the Middle East’s travel sector is becoming fertile ground for venture bets – from Umrah companions and cargo startups to AI-led personalisation.
At the WiT Phocuswright Middle East panel moderated by Phocuswright Managing Director Pete Co [...]
Redefining luxury: COMO’s Doris Goh on the rise of experiential, aspirational, and purposeful travel
From truffle hunting in Tuscany to charting weather ships in the Arctic, COMO’s commercial head shares why the future of luxury isn’t about opulence, it’s about intention.
When Doris Goh talks about luxury, it’s not about chandeliers or thread counts – it’s about truffle grounds in Tus [...]
Letter from Barcelona: Rebalancing tourism in the age of protest
On the weekend after Phocuswright Europe, thousands of protestors across southern Europe took to the streets to demonstrate their unhappiness over overtourism. “Your holidays, my misery,” they chanted in Barcelona, as they held up slogans such as “mass tourism kills the city” and “their gr [...]
Not first but fast followers: Michael Cawley on Ryanair’s tech playbook, OTA rapprochement & regulatory realities
Michael Cawley may be best known for his long tenure as Deputy CEO and COO of Ryanair, but his thinking continues to influence not just aviation, but also how we see technology, regulation, and the distribution battleground in Europe.
In a wide-ranging interview at Phocuswright Europe, Cawley lai [...]
Beyond the selfie queue: Japan’s overtourism challenge calls for data, dialogue, and decentralisation
As Japan races toward its goal of welcoming 60 million tourists annually, it faces a mounting dilemma – how to remain a dream destination without becoming a nightmare for its residents. At WiT Japan & North Asia 2025, a spirited panel moderated by Morris Sim of Montara Hospitality tackled the [...]
From new luxury to hotels as stories: A new breed rethinking hospitality
"Is growth just a more optimistic word for survival?", asked Morris Sim of Montara Hospitality, while moderating a panel about rethinking hospitality.
“We’re fairly lucky that we’ve been able to grow primarily through management agreements with some co-investment,” said Howard Ho, CEO &am [...]
Korea rising: Travel’s next powerhouse gets personal, local, and competitive
South Korea’s travel market is having a moment. Again. As the world races to catch up post-pandemic, Korea is not just bouncing back – it’s evolving at a dizzying pace across outbound, inbound, and domestic fronts, powered by hyper-local infrastructure, cultural cool, tech-savvy consumers, and [...]
Tours & Activities: Going deeper, spreading wider, staying human
From digital transformation and multi-day experiences to secondary cities and super apps, the future of in-destination travel is being reshaped in the Middle East and beyond.
What do Gen Z travellers want from experiences? A pasta-making class in Florence, not just a trip to Italy. A skydive over P [...]
From rock dreams to travel reality: Traveloka’s Caesar Indra on serving the next generation
At WiT Japan & North Asia 2025, Caesar Indra, President of Traveloka, took to the stage with the calm confidence of a man who’s weathered many storms, seen the travel tech tides shift and lived to tell the tale. Thirteen years after joining Traveloka to build its flight product, Caesar is now [...]
