A “pretty much recovered” BeMyGuest waits for next wave of travel
“We all died, and we got a chance to restart with all the tricks in the bag”
AFTER a tough two years, a time Blanca Menchaca, CEO and co-founder of BeMyGuest, would rather not remember, her attractions, tours and activities, technology company is “pretty much fully recovered”.
And th [...]
Singapore’s mask-off heralds good news for APAC travel
All eyes on Japan as it takes one more step towards easing of restrictions
“THE women will be happy, lipstick sales will go up,” said the Gojek driver to me, the day the announcement came that Singapore would make masks optional except in public transport and medical facilities effective August [...]
The invisibility of tech and the silence of sound – transforming tours and cinemas
PERHAPS it’s revenge cinema-going but lately I’ve been catching a lot of movies. After two years of watching on the small screen, it’s go big or stay home.
I’ve gone back to the cinemas where I am always freezing – I bring beanies and puffer jackets along and pretend I am in Iceland – [...]
Three men and a restaurant payments app called Spades
How a summer holiday in France led to “Scan, Split, Tip, Pay” and expansion beyond Dubai
IT was during a summer holiday in France when Sameer Poonja and his two mates used the Sunday app, the French payments app for restaurants, and a light bulb came on.
The Dubai-based Poonja, who formerly [...]
Inbound to SEA soars, Japan trending high in flight searches, Expedia to double down on B2B
“When Japan opens up, we will see another wave,” says Expedia’s new APAC head, Michael Dykes
INBOUND travel demand for SEA grew four times yoy in the first six months of 2022, indicating a strong return of travel in the region, according to Expedia flight data.
The top inbound travellers c [...]
Kiwi.com moves beyond price to offer customers peace of mind around disruption
“I'd love to be wrong but volatility is here to stay,” says Dlouhy
IT’s been 10 years since Oliver Dlouhy founded Kiwi.com and took the flight world by storm by making virtual interlining its forte. But with the last two “feeling like 10”, the Czech entrepreneur, based in Brno, seems a lo [...]
Social commerce takes off in Philippines, Clement Wong’s startup Triber eyes travel
As border restrictions ease, BeMyGuest founder wants to get back to travel
ONCE in travel, always in travel, it is said. And that seems to be the case with Clement Wong, who left the industry four years ago after he exited from tours and activities technology platform, BeMyGuest.
His new soc [...]
For laughing out loud, what’s the funniest travel experience you ever had?
THIS morning, I woke up to the sound of heavy breathing. Now before you get excited, it was only my dog. Soon as I opened up my eyes, she threw up on me. It was hard not to laugh. Of all the things I’d imagine waking up to in my life, it wasn’t this.
A few minutes later, I am walking my other [...]
Saint-Emilion uncorked: Monoliths, merlot and a man called Ma
IN the ancient medieval village of Saint-Emilion in Bordeaux, France, the people who once upon a time lived there spent a lot of time underground. The unique terrain – sand, clay, limestone and a micro climate (although that is a double-edged sword these days given the storms, hail and heatwave th [...]
Tripbtoz, after Series B raise, looks to expand to Singapore, San Francisco
AFTER its Series B fund raise of six billion won (about US$4.6 million) last November, Seoul-based OTA, Tripbtoz, is planning to take its video-based travel app outside South Korea. To date, the startup, founded in 2017 by former Expedian Jiha Jung, has raised 10.5 billion won (about US$8 million).
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