Hunt for best start-up begins – entries close Aug 31: WIT Bootcamp uncovers hot spaces for innovation
The WIT Bootcamp returns to Singapore on October 19 with its annual competition to find the travel start-up of the year and to put the spotlight on hot spaces in the start-up world.Entries for the WIT Start-Up Pitch 2015 close next Monday August 31 and thus far, submissions have come in from Malaysi [...]
Smart Nation Minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan to address WIT Conference
Singapore’s Minister for Environment and Water Resources and Minister-in-Charge of the Smart Nation Initiative, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan will give the opening address at the 11th edition of the WIT (Web In Travel) conference this year, to be held 20-21 October at Marina Bay Sands.The conference regu [...]
How Red Planet intends to conquer the value hotel sector with technology
“Give customers more of what they want, and less of what they don’t”. That’s the mantra of Bangkok-based Red Planet Hotels, which aims to redefine the value hotel experience in Asia. WIT speaks to Tim Hansing, Chief Executive Officer, Red Planet Hotels, about the technology-driven opportunit [...]
Korea’s MyRealTrip gets new funds to step up global expansion
WIT Japan Start-Up Pitch winner of 2014, MyRealTrip, a Korea-based start-up specialising in tour & activities, has received an undisclosed amount of investment from Silicon Valley’s Altos Ventures to accelerate its global expansion. The company, started in 2012, raised KRW1 billion (approx US$ [...]
The Millennial Traveller: When it comes to start-ups, it’s survival of the stubborn
Our millennial columnist, Marissa Trew, comes face-to-face with the hard truths of doing a start-up and her conclusion after the first SkyChat talk – “It is almost Darwinian and if not ‘survival of the fittest’ then certainly ‘survival of the stubborn’.”The inaugural SkyChat Evening to [...]
The pairing of travel and food: A natural match for Chope
The joy of discovering local cuisine can be as glorious and as memorable as any isolated landscape or sundrenched beach. That travel and food go together like cheese and quince is indisputable. The pairing simply works: Priceline’s acquisition of OpenTable and TripAdvisor taking over Paris-based L [...]
Bangkok bomb: In times of crises, no knee-jerk decisions please
“Our customers may make knee-jerk reactions because they have a right to. We shouldn't because we have a responsibility not to.” I wanted to wait a couple of days before I wrote about the horrific bomb attack at the Erawan Shrine in Bangkok – to digest, to talk to people, to think about it – [...]
If you want to win in Asia, don’t do it by remote control
Picture this. We are sitting in Skyscanner’s offices. It’s our first SkyChat Evening – intimate events where we feature longform conversations with smart people who are in town.On the couch with me is Fritz Demopoulos, co-founder of Qunar and now CEO, Queen’s Road Capital.Just that week, I [...]
WIT Warrior Spotlight: As it led in social media, Brand Karma’s Sim now wants to lead in virtual reality
At the WIT Conference last year in Singapore, we recognised 10 individuals whom we felt have had the most influence on the development of online travel in Asia Pacific. This is the seventh article in a series of interviews profiling the WIT Warriors.Morris Sim came out of Microsoft to start up a soc [...]
$16m richer from Series B, Tripping.com looks to scale in Asia
Tripping.com, the meta-search for vacation rentals which recently closed US$16 million Series B funding, is looking to scale in Asia.Jen O’ Neal, founder & CEO of the company, which has to date closed a total of US$20 million in three funding rounds, said, “Asia is one of Tripping.com's fast [...]
