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How to feel “At Home Around The World” and how to protect that experience: New book sheds light on short-term rentals
14/01/2019 by Yeoh Siew Hoon
Robert Rosenstein, co-founder and chairman, Agoda and Peter Allen, managing director of Agoda Outside, have co-authored a book, “At Home Around The World”. Positioned as “the short-term rentals handbook for guests, hosts, neighbours and governments”, the book addresses the world of alternat [...]
Cybersecurity takes top investment priority in air traffic industry, according to SITA
11/01/2019 by WiT
Airports and airlines are amongst travel’s most rigorous when it comes to physical security checks – from baggage scans, restrictions on liquids, and random passenger searches. However, the development of technology in the air industry has meant that threats to safety are no longer just physica [...]
2019 – the bridge to something new. Will it be fat years, winter or a fundamental cultural shift?
04/01/2019 by Yeoh Siew Hoon
In his interview on BBC’s World Book Club last month, Chinese author Chan Koonchung spoke about “the importance of the year ending with a 9”. “Next year (2019) is an important year because 1949 was the beginning of the People’s Republic so it’s the 70th anniversary and we have other [...]
How Alila achieved “zero waste to landfill” in Bali: What else can independent hotels do
03/01/2019 by WiT
After pledging “zero waste to landfill” over two years ago, Alila Hotels & Resorts has achieved its goal across all four of its Bali properties and plans to take and adapt the model to its other hotels. “It’s quite complex to actually get yourself to ‘zero waste to landfill’,” [...]
Defiance by design and the big themes for 2019. Happy new year
26/12/2018 by Yeoh Siew Hoon
After a year of intense travelling, it seems fitting to end my letters with a missive from my home island of Penang. If there’s one place that has been transformed by travel, this is it. In my lifetime, I’ve seen it go through what I call the three ages of tourism – the first wave, that of [...]
Nutmegs, soldier flies and bamboo straws: How Cempedak approaches sustainability from all angles
20/12/2018 by WiT
Hotels have made a righteous first step with their efforts to eliminate single-use plastics with a fervour not seen since they decided to place tent placards in bathrooms, describing their towel renewal policies. The pressure on businesses to cultivate conservational practices is high and it’ [...]
How Expedia Group is building diversity through Leading 4 Change
19/12/2018 by Yeoh Siew Hoon
As Expedia Group globalises, with a third of its business now coming from outside the US, the company recognises the need for a more diverse workforce. Melissa Maher, senior vice president and innovation at Expedia Group, is responsible for the “Leading 4 Change” programme which includes drivin [...]
Curious about diversity in 2019? Me too
19/12/2018 by Yeoh Siew Hoon
My first encounter with the author, Ursula K Le Guin, was through “The Left Hand Of Darkness” which I read, growing up in Penang, Malaysia. In a society where one was defined by not only gender but also race, my imagination was fired by her portrayal of a world without gender where one accepted [...]
Reflections of 2018 and Predictions for 2019, Part 2
20/12/2018 by WiT
As we come to the close of 2018, we asked some of our industry peers to give us their take on the year that's passed and to stare into the crystal ball and make predictions about the one ahead. Read on to see what travel trends they find most exciting (and boring), what they predict the biggest gam [...]
Reflections of 2018 and Predictions for 2019, Part 1
17/12/2018 by WiT
As we come to the close of 2018, we asked some of our industry peers to give us their take on the year that's passed and to stare into the crystal ball and make predictions about the one ahead. Read on to see what travel trends they find most exciting (and boring), what they predict the biggest gam [...]