As cruises grow in Asia, will tech and customer behaviour converge to rock the boat?
There are many things cruise companies say that they hold to be true. One of these is, if you’ve been on a cruise, you will become a fan for life.
I don’t necessarily believe that to be true – I went on my first sea cruise when cruising was just taking off in Singapore in the 80s with the l [...]
Letter from Las Vegas: The cowboys are coming, travel goes on, no matter what
As the plane approached Las Vegas, I wondered if I would find things changed. After all, it’s only been two months since that horrific shooting when 58 fans attending an outdoor country and western concert at Mandalay Bay were gunned down.
The year before, I had gone reluctantly to a shooti [...]
Baidu Capital, armed with $3b, still looking for the right travel bet
Travel, like every industry, is dominated by giants but Jenny Wu says there are “good seeds” of innovation happening and it’s just a matter of time before Baidu Capital picks the next big travel bet. For now, it’s banking on an autonomous future as well as logistics and e-commerce.
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Infrastrucure is the limit for cruises in Asia as liners bring new tonnage to region
On the opening panel at the inaugural CruiseWorld Asia last week, a panel of four industry leaders were unanimously bullish about the growth of cruises in Asia.
William Harber, President, China & Asia Pacific, Hurtigruten, said that percentages of growth are rapidly increasing, predicting at [...]
How the rise of mobile in APAC is changing buying behaviour
Mobile technology has changed retail marketing, as well as consumer buying behaviour. In Asia Pacific (APAC), where smartphones are (almost) ubiquitous, their use are evolving faster than ever before especially for travel.
The smart device is changing the travel booking experience from start to f [...]
Biggest hurdle to growth of cruises in Asia is lack of consumer knowledge and confidence in experiences offered, says Destination Asia’s Bob Guy
At the inaugural CruiseWorld Asia held in Singapore on November 30, Bob Guy (Managing Director of Singapore & Malaysia, Destination Asia) tapped into the main opportunities and challenges that face the growth of cruises in Asia, during an interview with Yeoh Siew Hoon (Editorial Director, Norths [...]
Pitch me something I don’t understand, says investor supremo Joel Cutler
It is said the best ideas either terrify you or make you laugh. In Joel Cutler’s case, it’s ideas he doesn’t understand. Known as the man with the Midas touch with his investments in companies such as ITA Software, KAYAK and Airbnb, the co-founder and managing director of General Catalyst Part [...]
Next stop for Rome2rio as it graduates from cockroach startup – global travel brand for A to B, with everything in between
You could call it a coming of age for Rome2rio – the seven-year-old Melbourne startup has finally left the co-working space it called home for several years to move into its own offices.
Having grown from 10 to 40 staff in the last 18 months, it was deemed necessary to get its own space. “The [...]
AirAsia Foundation launches Destination: GOOD – marketplace to support Asean social enterprises
The philanthropic arm of AirAsia Group, AirAsia Foundation, has opened its first social enterprise pop-up shop at klia2, Malaysia's budget terminal in Sepang, to provide a new platform for Asean social enterprises to market and sell their products.
Destination: GOOD, as the shop is called, is a joi [...]
Airports a major hurdle to high tech air travel, says AirAsia’s Tony Fernandes
In the eyes of Tony Fernandes, airports represent the largest hurdle when it comes to an airline’s ability to advance its digital capabilities. Fortunately, some are starting to see the light… and for AirAsia, it has started with the ultra-modern Terminal 4 at Singapore Changi Airport.
At a p [...]
