Don’t write off AI as hype: Once-in-a-generation transformation, says Chris Hemmeter
An existential threat to suppliers and golden time for startups
Yes, there is a lot of hype around AI right now and some of us may have become immune or even cynical about it but you'd be wise not to, warned Chris Hemmeter, managing director of Thayer Ventures.
Opening his talk on “Gen AI and [...]
Africa will chart its own course: AI, tech and local know-how will unlock potential
When Zachariah George, of Launch Africa Ventures, moved to Africa after 15 years ago, there were more mobile phones in Manhattan than the whole of Africa. Today there are more mobile phone lines in Africa than the whole of North America, including Mexico and Central America.
That phenomenal shift [...]
The future of Northeast Asia travel is online
WiT Japan & North Asia returns to Tokyo, May 26-27
The future of Northeast Asia travel is online, with Phocuswright predicting that the region will smash through another barrier in online travel bookings by 2026, reaching $30 billion.
The latest Phocuswright Northeast Asia Travel Market Repo [...]
Nadia Omer on lessons from strangers, and focus on cost, price and budget travel
"Budget travel isn’t about taking market share from premium airlines; it’s about activating new demographics to fly for the first time." - Nadia Omer, CEO, AirAsia MOVE
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia last night played host to the first-ever Travel Tech Thursdays, a joint event by WiT, Wego and My Indie [...]
WiT & Phocuswright return to Middle East to unlock promise of a growth region
There is no doubt that the Middle East is a region on the rise, buoyed by the investments being made in Saudi Arabia as it strives to meet its target of 150 million tourists by 2030.
Phocuswright’s annual Middle East Travel Market Report, issued in 2024, forecasts a 40% growth in the region’s t [...]
Calling travel startups of the world: Global Startup Pitch returns in 2025
Grand Finals to be held at Phocuswright Europe in Barcelona
Travel startups from across the world will have the opportunity to expose themselves to the global market once again when the Global Startup Pitch, by WiT and Phocuswright, returns for its 2025 edition.
Now in its fourth year, the globa [...]
Sustainability, Gen AI, and the forces moving ASEAN tourism in 2025
Malaysia is setting ambitious tourism goals with Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM 2026), aiming to attract 35.6 million visitors and generate RM147.1 billion in tourism revenue. The ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) 2025, held in Johor Bahru, spotlighted key strategies to achieve these targets, including sustainabil [...]
Wego, WiT to launch “Travel Tech Thursdays” in Kuala Lumpur
To celebrate their joint 20th birthdays this year, WiT and Wego are teaming up to launch “Travel Tech Thursdays” in Kuala Lumpur on the last Thursday of every month, starting on February 27.
The two-hour event, to be held at Wego’s new offices in the Malaysian capital city, will feature int [...]
ASEAN Tourism Forum 2025 spotlights sustainability and AI as Malaysia prepares for Visit Malaysia 2026
35.6 million and 147.1 billion. Keep these figures in mind as they are pivotal to Malaysia’s tourism industry as it gears up for Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM 2026). Simultaneously, the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) 2025, held in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, from January 15 to 20, brought together over 1,000 dele [...]
Kayak’s Steve Hafner likens travel search to Snow White and the Seven Dwarves
Twenty years after founding Kayak with Paul English, Steve Hafner remains resolute that there is a future for travel search, even while acknowledging the growth limitations due to the dominance of Google in search and traffic acquisition.“People need a place to compare prices,” he said in an exe [...]
