Featured
Being in Asia “no brainer” for Lufthansa Innovation Hub as it rolls out into Travel & Mobility tech space
26/02/2020 by Yeoh Siew Hoon
Christine Wang, head of business development for Lufthansa Innovation Hub’s new centre in Asia (pictured right), speaks to Yeoh Siew Hoon about her learnings as she takes her first dip into travel and aviation and her plans to engage with startups in the region in the area of travel and mobility [...]
The Long Run’s time has come as sustainability awareness peaks, new report shows consumers more willing to pay
24/02/2020 by Yeoh Siew Hoon
The turn of the decade has certainly been pivotal for The Long Run. Founded in 2009 as an initiative of Zeitz Foundation’s international programme, it had been plugging away quietly at the very important business of sustainability and now, well, you could say, its time in the sun has come. Fo [...]
Life in Orange: Making sense of advisories and having blonde moments
20/02/2020 by Yeoh Siew Hoon
When all this is over, we will all look back and wonder how the whole world got unravelled by a virus but in the meantime, we have to deal with it and live through it. And write about it. Because at times like these, you have to keep reminding yourself and others that life goes on, and we a [...]
Don’t build more, fix problems first, Penang tourism master planners told
19/02/2020 by Yeoh Siew Hoon
Less than a month to go before WiT Indie kicks off in Penang on March 13, and fireworks have exploded over the new Penang Tourism Master Plan that was presented a week ago, with criticisms ranging from it not meeting the needs of industry and travellers to “building more when we should be solving [...]
WiT Seoul 2020: “Parasite” win puts spotlight on South Korea’s rising power in art, tech and travel
19/02/2020 by WiT
“The dynamism of Korea is now in travel”         When Bong Joon-Ho walked up the dais to pick up the Oscar for Best Film at the Oscars, you could almost hear the whole of South Korea cheering. The director of “Parasite” made history as the first Foreig [...]
Covid-19: APAC travel takes hit, SEA startups will struggle for funding
18/02/2020 by WiT
No one doubts the impact of Covid-19 will be felt in every sector, from airlines to hotels and startups. A report from Velocity Ventures, a VC fund based in Singapore, for example, anticipates a drop in funding of 25% for startups in South-east Asia. But all are keeping an eye on when recovery will [...]
ZUZU Hospitality hits sweet spot, and why there’s less need for hotels to have a brand today
18/02/2020 by Yeoh Siew Hoon
Four years on, after having signed its first hotel in July 2016, ZUZU Hospitality believes it has found its sweet spot in helping independent hotels manage their demand and revenue management. It now has 1,800 hotels, with the sweet spot being those with 20-50 rooms, across South-east Asia name [...]
“Unbloating” Expedia: Diller and Kern to breathe new life into group even though it will mean less life, more work for staff
14/02/2020 by Yeoh Siew Hoon
For someone who excused himself in advance for being “raggy” (informal) because “I haven’t done this in a while”, Expedia Group chairman Barry Diller certainly knew how to capture attention with his comments in the company’s earning calls yesterday. Most of what he and his handp [...]
Amid cancellations and chaos, be brave, adjust to the new normal and take lessons from free diving
13/02/2020 by Yeoh Siew Hoon
Other than makers of face masks, hand sanitisers, toilet paper and instant noodles, it is hard to think of anyone who’s not been affected adversely by this global virus scare. Every day, my inbox is filled with news of events being cancelled or postponed – the biggest one of which was the M [...]
2020 touted as a “year in recovery” for Singapore tourism in face of Corona virus scares
11/02/2020 by WiT
Riding off the back of four years of consecutive growth, the Singapore Tourism Board is bracing itself for a rough year, and has estimated that visitor arrivals could drop by 25 to 30%. In the midst of the Corona virus (2019-nCoV) crisis, multiple countries have released advisories dissuading t [...]