Traveller confidence is high, so is interest in sustainability
But industry must give right information, otherwise “it’s disingenuous or meaningless”
THE three markets that are most interested in travelling are also the ones most interested in travelling sustainably, according to Booking.com’s inaugural APAC Traveler Confidence Index, shared at the OTA [...]
Travel in transition – a reshuffle of leadership taking place before our very eyes
Wilson to AirIndia, De Schepper to TrustPilot, Peller leaves AWS, Agoda's Morgenshtern on the rise – watch this space
I WAS never a big fan of Sheryl Sandberg so the news of her leaving Meta (formerly Facebook) leaves me somewhat cold. But her departure did put into stark relief the transition [...]
From “hilltribe lady” to “tea lady”: The making of Araksa
When inbound travel stopped, specialty tea making and community experiences flourished
“It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my career,” said Chananya Phataraprasit as she introduced me to the 17 (soon to be 18) types of speciality teas her Araksa Tea Garden in Chiang Mai is currently p [...]
From founder to CEO, Agoda’s CEO-in-waiting on startup journey, tactics and tech
THE startup he founded was acquired by Booking Holdings and now he’s the CEO-in-waiting of Agoda, waiting to step into the role on July 1. How did he get from founder to employee to CEO? Omri Morgenshtern, currently COO, Agoda talks about his personal evolution, the lessons he’s learnt along the [...]
Letter from Thailand: Take it slow, make it sustainable, be well – a destination in transition
I HAD waited more than two years for this moment and when it arrived, it was almost bitter sweet. This week, I got on a flight to Bangkok, a place I fell in love with at first sight decades ago and stayed in love with through the passage of time.
I had visualised it so hard – the moment when I [...]
The WiT Podcast – Episode 39: Vikram Malhi, Co-founder, Zuzu Hospitality
IN this episode, we speak to Vikram Malhi, who’s the co-founder of ZUZU Hospitality, on the recovery trends he’s seeing in the small, independent hotel segment in South-east Asia and how this could be a breakout moment for the longtail of hospitality.
Here are the key takeaways.
On recover [...]
Airbnb pulls out of domestic China business, will focus on outbound
AIRBNB will pull out of the domestic listings and Experiences market in China and instead focus on the outbound travel business, a source close to the matter has confirmed to WiT.
Said the source, “China has been on lockdown since early 2020, and with no end in sightAirbnb formally launched its [...]
As travel returns, more transparency needed for consumers to make sustainable choices
More than 68m travellers have opted for Skyscanner’s “Greener Choice”; Travalyst coalition working on standardised score
FRESH from attending his first physical airline conference, the CAPA Aviation Summit in Manchester, since the pandemic, Hugh Aitken, vice president of flights of Skyscanner [...]
Elizabeth Liau: Marrying travel with scent and stories
Creating a luxury niche fragrance brand around destinations not to be sniffed at
YOU could say it was her nose for travel and stories that led her to create her own luxury niche fragrance company built around her favourite places in Asia. That, and love for her mother who passed away in 2018.
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In the war for talent, travel companies up the ante
Airbnb goes full on with “live and work from anywhere”, Klook launches workation scheme
FIRST it was Airbnb who declared that its employees can now “live and work anywhere”, offering these options – work from home or office, move anywhere in the country you work in without any change in c [...]
