Letter from Penang: Meet the new digital hippies out to create the island’s future
In my interview with the Straits Times of Singapore last month, I told the reporter that it was the hippies who first inspired me to get into travel. I would see them wandering round the streets with a certain smile on their face, and I wanted to be like them.I thought the smile was from happiness, [...]
Cultural shift needed in hotel pricing and booking and Duetto wants to lead the movement
Duetto’s concept of “open pricing” is but the first step in a long journey towards helping hotels extend the trust they’ve already built with “customers who sleep in their beds ” to the booking process.Said Patrick Bosworth, CEO and co-founder of Duetto, “According to Google and Comsco [...]
Singapore debates pros and cons of short-term rentals as sharing models lobby to stave off ban
Like everywhere else, Singapore is trying to figure out what to do with the sharing economy or, more specifically, short-term rentals.This week, Airbnb and travelmob sent out emails to their members, encouraging them to take part in a survey being conducted by the URA (Urban Redevelopment Authority) [...]
HotelQuickly enters South Korea with redesigned app
In launching its app in South Korea today, its 15th country, last minute booking app HotelQuickly took its time to make sure it got it right in Asia’s most mobile market.CEO Tomas Laboutka said, “We didn’t want to rush to Korea just to be there. We wanted to really learn as much as possible ab [...]
Taking Travel Massive from fun project to serious business
Travel Massive started off as a fun project by serial entrepreneur Ian Cumming who wanted to connect people in travel. Over the years, it’s grown into a global community, powered by local chapters. Now, backed by a personal investment from Stephan Ekbergh of Travelstart, Cumming wants to turn Trav [...]
The power of NOW – in that instant, loyalty is strengthened or broken
I like to think I am somewhat of a loyal person. I have friends for life. And I think most of them will show up at my funeral. I try and learn from my dogs everyday what true loyalty means.As a customer, I am also generally loyal. I am loyal not per se to the brands but to my friends working in thos [...]
Data challenges abound for hoteliers – TravelClick rolls out new data tool Demand360
It's not the lack of data or tools, it's the talent lag and mindset that needs changing if Asia's hotel industry is to embrace the new dawn in hotel distribution, sales and marketing. In this interview, TravelClick's Maverick Mak talks about their new product, Demand360, and the challenges facing ho [...]
Fancy a flight to space – it’s going for US$100,000 a pop
It seems rather fitting that John Mims, who as a young boy was fascinated by the space race and remembers watching it endlessly on television, now finds himself selling commercial space flights.“I have always thought that to be in apace would be the ultimate adventure. Until now I had only hoped [...]
Yo! Travelstart offers location-based deals on demand
The South African-based Travelstart has launched a service for location-based special deals on demand on the social app platform Yo, making it the first OTA to allow users to book directly within the Yo app.Launched in 2014, Yo, the social app for iOS, Android and Windows phones, hit one million dow [...]
Letter from Auckland: Looking good, old gal, and the future’s looking good too
Compared with Singapore, which turns 50 this year, Auckland’s an old gal at 175 but she sure looks good.Perhaps I saw her in the best light. It was a perfect summer’s weekend for Auckland’s 175th anniversary celebrations (Jan 23-25) – cloudless blue sky meets shimmering blue sea – and the [...]
