Confessions of an anxiety-ridden form-filling test-taking traveller
Whoop, whoop – Cambodia leads the way, scraps all tests
WOKE up this morning with messages pinging from Cambodia – friends there all excited about the latest news. No more pre-departure PCR test needed to arrive, no more on-arrival ART test, and visa on arrival re-introduced for all air, sea an [...]
How travel is turning the Great Resignation into the Great Renewal
“Best time to have a front row seat to travel's rebound and transformation”
Workation programmes, Unlimited Time Pay Off, Joy Allowances, Remote Work – these are some of the practices being rolled out by online travel brands as they adjust to life changed by Covid, and a talent pool that is a [...]
Hopper across to APAC with STO model and remote playbook
APAC head Reno Wang talks workplace lessons from East and West
ONE of online travel’s fastest growing companies, Hopper, is expanding into Asia Pacific. We catch up with Reno Wang, vice president, APAC, to find out what led him to leave Alipay to join Hopper, how Hopper does things differently fo [...]
From pandemic to war, IHG’s Macpherson stays focused on recovery
From growth to tech investments, hospitality needs to balance “guest experience with owner expectations”
It’s a sign of the better times we are in that when Kenneth Macpherson, the CEO for Europe, Middle East, Asia and Africa (EMEAA) for IHG Hotels & Resorts, was visiting his team in Sing [...]
“Blurred travel”, payments and sustainability to drive agenda at Lufthansa Innovation Hub
CHRISTINE Wang, managing director, Lufthansa Innovation Hub, made a return visit to Singapore recently, her first in two years since she relocated to Berlin. She shares her views on the trends she’s seen in travel tech and whether Asia, despite being slower in recovery, will continue to outpace in [...]
The stars align for Phum Baitang – first Jolie, then Aok Sokunkanha
How a luxury resort in Siem Reap pivoted to the local market, helped by celebrity-dom, rice fields and water buffaloes
LIKE most resorts in South-east Asia, Phum Baitang (Green Village) in Siem Reap, Cambodia, had a record year in 2019 and was on track for another stellar performance the following [...]
Even as travel recovers, The Great Resignation continues
Cronin leaves Wharf Hotels and Hong Kong to return to Australia
IT felt almost like the old days. I had just returned from a trip to Siem Reap and I was on my way to have drinks with Jennifer Cronin, president of Wharf Hotels Group, who had flown into Singapore from Australia, enroute to Hong Kong, [...]
Klook wants to bring world of joy back to travellers
New brand timed with beginnings of recovery in South-east Asia as Klook steps up focus in region
KLOOK’s new branding, unveiled in Singapore today, is meant to bring joy back into the world through travel and experiences and co-founder and COO, Eric Gnock Fah, was certainly looking joyful when I [...]
Letter from Siem Reap: Jolie spotting, Khmer home lunch and elephant playtime
A return to quieter days and richer experiences
I FIRST visited Siem Reap circa 1995 when it had just opened to international tourism. Then, the best way to appreciate the scale and grandeur of the Angkor temples was by aerial view from a military helicopter because going by foot was still hazardou [...]
Stuff it, get out there and travel
Australia yours to explore, Thailand amazes A-Z, Cambodia awaits
I never thought I’d be excited to hear an Australian accent in my living room, telling me “Australia is yours to explore” but the first time I saw the Tourism Australia television commercial, I hopped with joy like a kangaroo.
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