Here comes IVI to liberate revenue managers: Infinito launches a virtual assistant
After nearly a decade working with revenue management companies including IDeaS and most recently, LodgIQ, Fabian Bartnick (pictured above) has decided to launch his first startup to “liberate revenue managers”.
Infinito aims to do this via IVI, a virtual RM analyst and assistant “who will [...]
Welcome back, Raffles Hotel. We’ve missed you for two years
As my Grab driver pulls up to the entrance of the Raffles Hotel, the unmistakable figure of Naranjan comes up to the white barricades to let me in. It’s a few days before its much-delayed re-opening and Singapore’s grand old dame is still under wraps from the public eye.
For the last two yea [...]
If you have my data, better make it relevant for me: ADARA CMO on blending data with empathy to personalise interactions
At WiT Japan & North Asia earlier this month, ADARA’s chief marketing officer, Carolyn Corda openly discussed the changing forces in marketing travel brands and how companies can leverage data to better understand their customers.
We are in an age where marketing is driven
by data and cons [...]
Is Agoda’s “Mix and Save” clever or risky or could it create operational nightmares for hoteliers?
While Agoda is hailing its new feature “Mix and Save” as a breakthrough for extra budget-conscious travellers, hoteliers are still coming to grips with what it really means for them down the line.
The Thailand-based travel platform announced the new feature which it said would allow customer [...]
Excuse me, is that champagne real? Designing with VR and accelerating startups all part of KrisLab’s new playbook
The first thing I reached out for in the
cabin was the champagne. Even though it wasn’t real, it felt like the thing to
do when one is flying in a space that’s decked out to look more like a Japanese
onsen with soft steam billowing all around than the kind of prosaic cabin I am
more used to.
[...]
Will Asia be the breakout region for Tours & Activities?
As the Arival team prepared for our launch event in Asia Pacific to serve creators and sellers of tours, activities and attractions, we heard one refrain again and again from industry insiders: Asia is behind. Tour and activity operators are resistant to new technology. Attractions are hesitant to [...]
The startup world may be flat but South-east Asia is the headline act for WiT Singapore Startup Pitch 2019
The fact that a Myanmar-based domestic flight OTA, Flymya, won the WiT Startup Pitch in Japan is proof that the startup world is indeed flat, and that while ideas and execution may be local, global is the new playground for all aspiring entrepreneurs.
“At WiT Japan & North Asia, [...]
Travix sees strong growth in the Philippines as it expands CheapTickets, BudgetAir in Asia
As travellers in the Philippines get smarter and savvier about online travel, they are starting to shift from direct to indirect, said Richard Kua, regional director Asia Pacific for Amsterdam-based Travix which runs CheapTickets as well as BudgetAir in the region.
“They see a
$200 flight on [...]
Travelstop partners with Traveloka and raises $3m in funding to disrupt corporate travel
If corporate travel sector has been waiting for its moment of metamorphosis, Travelstop is one of the catalysts. Re-affirming corporate travel’s position as the next sector in line for disruption, the Singapore-based startup has raised $3 million in pre-Series A funding.
Silicon Valley-based [...]
In a world where funding knows no boundaries, think global from day one, startups urged
The good news is, there is more money around and at the early stage, it’s a good time for all startups. The bad news is, at the late stage, money is chasing fewer startups.
“Companies can come in early with traction these days. That’s when investors pile in. But at the late stage, competi [...]
