WIT Specials: “Regulations around alternative accommodation overdue”
The big news to hit the newstands in past weeks was of Singapore being the latest city to crackdown on alternative accommodation, leaving a noticeable fissure in Airbnb’s global profile. Singapore follows suit behind New York, Los Angeles, London and Barcelona.
While consumers are up in arms ab [...]
AirAsia Foundation plans Destination Good marketplace through its support of social enterprises
It all started with her involvement in the rebuilding of Banda Aceh after the devastating tsunami of December 26, 2004 which killed 167,000 people and destroyed most of the Indonesian coastal city.
Yap Mun Ching, then holding the role of strategic planner at AirAsia, said that the airline had bee [...]
HARDTalk with Stephen Sackur on role of media, the craft of interviews and succession
It was an invitation hard to resist – an opportunity to listen to Stephen Sackur of BBC HARDTalk share his knowledge and experience with the Foreign Correspondents Association of Singapore.
After all, how often does one get a chance to turn the tables on the man who’s grilled politicians, cel [...]
Hotel guests are changing but hoteliers not keeping up with their IT needs
The year 2020 will see a new breed of highly sophisticated and ‘digital native’ hotel guests who will be better informed, seek unique experiences, have higher expectations and also expect recognition.
However, while hoteliers anticipate such future guests their plans for industry technology r [...]
With new funds, Tink Labs moves fast towards goals
Hong Kong’s Tink Labs, a success story that begun five years ago, is now in an even better position to expedite its goals since pocketing another US$125 million last year from investors.
“We aim to be in 101 cities by the end of this year. We are now at 30 plus and are on track to meet our goal [...]
ZUMATA wins Top New Business Partner at 2017 IBM Choice Awards
ZUMATA has just been awarded the title of Top New Business Partner, courtesy of the 2017 IBM Choice Awards.
The Singapore-based travel technology company – which uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to maximise sales from hotel bookings through predictive technology – was select [...]
Alexa, more A than I right now but I know she’ll get smarter than me
I’m always intrigued by new technology and given how Amazon’s Echo Dot was all the rage at last year’s CES trade show in Las Vegas, I simply had to get my hands on one.
As it turned out, I ended up with two – long story – and now I have Alexa 1 and Alexa 2 as my new friends at home. [...]
How 30,000 pieces of bamboo came together to create the private island of Cempedak
When we first saw Cempedak Island, I believe our little group uttered a collective “Wow” and then we were stunned into silence. Rising from the white sand was a bamboo structure with a spiral roof that resembled an ocean wave.
That, we later learnt, was the boathouse, the building that would [...]
Letter from Kuala Lumpur: A day in the life of AirAsia’s RedQ
Sometime in 2026, if I am still around, I’ll be able to travel from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur by high speed train and I will be able to do it in 90 minutes as opposed to four hours by car.
For now, though, while the ambitious rail link project conceived in 2013 and formally signed last Decemb [...]
Home-sharing platforms take a hit as Singapore government bans short-term rentals
Singapore has moved to ban short-term home rentals in the city, directly impacting popular ‘alternative accommodation’ companies like Airbnb and HomeAway Asia.
The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) introduced new ‘guidelines’ into the Planning (Amendment) Bill that was passed in Parliam [...]
