Growing Hilton in APAC: Deploying AI, innovating the app and enhancing “the stay”
With 126 hotels opening this year in Asia Pacific, you could say Hilton is growing at its fastest in the region, although Ben George, APAC SVP & commercial director, concedes, not as fast as generative AI is developing.
“This whole AI vertical is growing so fast,” he told me during one of [...]
“Boring is good”, says Traveloka’s strategy chief
Ex-banker Joydeep recounts the “emotional” days of Covid, looks forward to “steady and stable” future
Joydeep Chakraborty describes himself as a traveller who loves serendipity. “I never book in advance. I like to walk around, find a nice hidden hole in the wall place. The joy I get from [...]
Singapore startup Cinewav brings immersive audio to Vivid Sydney for second year running
Visitors to Vivid Sydney, taking place in Sydney from May 26 to June 17, will be able to immerse themselves in a new kind of audio experience, thanks to the world-first, patented technology of Singapore start-up Cinewav.
The startup, whose technology synchronises audio between mobile phones and a [...]
Theme parks riding high on recovery wave in APAC, says IAAPA
First physical event since pandemic set to convene in Singapore in June
For an industry that plunged 67% in 2020, the global theme and amusement park market is back on top and attractions in Asia Pacific are recording revenues exceeding 2019 levels, according to June Ko, executive director and vic [...]
Is it a garden? A park? Oh, it’s the Pan Pacific Orchard
New build hotel decked out in 200% foliage makes debut June 1
His first hotel opening was the Crowne Plaza Chengdu in 1996 and when the new Pan Pacific Orchard soft opens on June 1, it will be Marcel Holman’s seventh opening – and he openly admits it, it’s a whole new world when it comes to h [...]
Goodbye, Hugo Burge, a gentle soul who made a difference
I was first introduced to Hugo Burge by Rod Cuthbert. It was sometime 2011. Rod said to me, “You know that debate you run, you need someone English to do it, someone who can do a proper debate in proper English.”
In the end, Hugo did not take part in the debate – he was way too gentle a sou [...]
Yanolja Cloud wants to bring K-tech to the hospitality and leisure world
“It's not unlike spreading of Korean culture that's going round the world,” says new marketing chief Solomito
Just as South Korea has given the world K-pop and K-drama, Yanolja Cloud, which started as part of Yanolja, the country’s leading travel app, wants to bring its brand of K-tech to tra [...]
Changing of the guard at STB as it prepares for a new future
Keith Tan leaves on a high, Melissa Ow returns to the fold
I remember commenting to someone at the recent Tourism Industry Conference in Singapore that it sounded like Keith Tan, chief executive of the Singapore Tourism Board, was making his farewell speech to the industry.
There was something [...]
Skyscanner: Travellers look to APAC as booking windows normalise
The majority of trending destinations for Q2 and Q3 travel are in APAC, with Japan, China, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and Taiwan benefitting, according to the latest report from Skyscanner Horizons: Destination & Booking Insights Q1 2023.
The report also noted that +90 day booking windo [...]
KabuK Style wants to create diverse culture with its blockchain-powered travel subscription service
Japanese fintech startup with fixed price model expands to South Korea
In terms of timing, Kenji Sunada, founder and CEO of KabuK Style, couldn’t have picked a worse moment to launch his online subscription travel service in 2019. “It was very disappointing,” he laughed. “We didn’t expe [...]
