Letter from Sydney: Chatbots are hot but they are no silver bullet
Travelport Live in Sydney kicked off with two female “robot” dancers wearing suits that were more lit up than a Christmas tree, their robot-like movements a hint of where the discussions at the one-and-a-half day conference would be heading.
Futurist Ross Dawson opened with a br [...]
How Katsumi Sakakura conquered himself to bring Japanese cool to the world
It was two days before Katsumi Sakakura was due to perform at the opening of WIT Japan & North Asia 2017 in Tokyo and I was curious to meet the artist who had captured my imagination with his performances which blend, as he calls it, “screen power with human power”.
In dress and look, h [...]
Letter from Karuizawa: Of domestic sausages, chowa and online battles
Karuizawa is an hour’s train ride from Tokyo. The hill resort is a popular summer retreat for Tokyo folks looking to escape the heat and stress of city life. At WIT Japan & North Asia, there was a lot of talk about the need to disperse tourism beyond the main centres of Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto [...]
Letter from Tokyo: Why did you come to Japan? A tale of Japanese influence on youthful dreams
On the Japan Airlines flight over from Singapore, I caught a television programme made by Tokyo TV called “Why did you come to Japan?”
Clearly launched on the back of the inbound boom to Japan, it basically catches visitors at Narita airport unawares, asks them their reason for coming to the [...]
Letter from Amsterdam Part 2: Fear of ghosts and bikes, and trends that rock in Asia
In Amsterdam, I stayed at the Grand Amrath Hotel. It’s reputed to be haunted. I didn’t know it because unlike 80% of travellers who read reviews before they book a hotel, I didn’t do any research.
I stayed there because it was the hotel of choice for the Phocuswright team. It’s a very [...]
How airlines should prepare for the future as China and big data disrupt aviation
It is clear that disruptive forces are coming “faster and bigger than you think” to change aviation – the question is, are the airlines ready for it?
Peter Harbison, executive chairman of Sydney-based Centre for Aviation (CAPA), opening the Airline Leader Summit in Dublin last week, believe [...]
Eight lessons for startups from the sci-fi world
I believe every now and then we should venture into uncharted territory, whether that’s in travel or in life in general, and so when I was asked to get involved in the first science fiction conference in Hong Kong, I didn’t hesitate.
Melon, founded by Fritz Demopoulos, serial entrepreneur and c [...]
Heritage Race heads to Melbourne for some coffee and culture
The Heritage Race is headed to Melbourne this May, after making runs in Singapore, Bangkok and Kuching.
The first to be held in Australia, the race aims to unearth local stories for good while doing good at the same time. This event will support and raise funds for Orange Sky Laundry and Shower w [...]
WIT Startup Pitch calls for new entries; celebrates past winners now successful ventures
The annual WIT Startup Pitch, an event that has been catalyst for a number of successful businesses, is now receiving submissions for its WIT Japan & North Asia 2017 tour in June.
The WIT Startup Pitch, supported by Amadeus Next, gives participants an opportunity to be coached by industry vet [...]
Trends that matter In hospitality
What are the trends that matter in hospitality? In a one-on-one with WIT founder Yeoh Siew Hoon, Lorraine Sileo, vice president research, Phocuswright shared these insights at WIT Hospitality in Hong Kong
What are the biggest trends in hospitality
Room revenue is on the rise, growing f [...]
