Expedia doubles down on B2B with new partnerships and tech features
55% revenue growth in Q1 driven by pace of adoption of partners
Following a strong quarter for Expedia Group’s B2B segment where it delivered 55% in revenue growth compared to 2022, the company announced new partnerships and tech features aimed at expanding its partner network, at Expedia Group� [...]
Google’s ARCore partners with Singapore Tourism Board to create AI-powered guided tours
Singapore Tourism Board is the first tourism partner globally in Google’s ARCore Early Access Program.
One trend that started to gain traction in the last few years is the adoption of virtual and augmented reality in the travel, tourism, and attractions space. Contrary to initial belief, these to [...]
9 things we learned at ATE23: Australia recaptures Indian market, Ruby is a hit, visa applications, more
2300 delegates, 623 buyers from 32 countries, and a whopping 45,000 meetings. Those were the numbers that painted the 43rd edition of Tourism Australia’s largest annual trade event, Australian Tourism Exchange 2023 (ATE23) last week.
Hosted on the Gold Coast, Queensland across 5 days, this yea [...]
OTAs tipped to benefit most from China’s travel recovery, with Gen Z driving growth
OTAs are tipped to be the key beneficiaries of the Chinese travel market, which is expected to grow 13% per annum post-Covid, according to a report by DBS, Singapore’s major bank.
The report, “China Online Travel Sector”, states that more than 60% of online bookings are via online travel ag [...]
Yanolja Cloud wants to bring K-tech to the hospitality and leisure world
“It's not unlike spreading of Korean culture that's going round the world,” says new marketing chief Solomito
Just as South Korea has given the world K-pop and K-drama, Yanolja Cloud, which started as part of Yanolja, the country’s leading travel app, wants to bring its brand of K-tech to tra [...]
Unstoppable India: Aviation activity steps up, travel rebounds, middle class set to surge
Sabre highlights key travel trends in the world's most populous country, as of April 2023
A key milestone in the world was passed in April when India’s population reached 425,775,850 people, matching and then surpassing the population of China.
Marking this landmark moment, the UN in this repo [...]
AI pioneer regrets his work; US Airlines’ 5G dilemma; Uber vs Australia; EU wary of multimodal ticketing
IATA’s sensitivity about 5G sensors
The US government says will not delay a deadline for airlines to refit planes with new sensors to address possible 5G interference, despite concerns the 1 July cut-off date could cause travel disruption.
Airlines are warning they will not be able to meet the [...]
Changing of the guard at STB as it prepares for a new future
Keith Tan leaves on a high, Melissa Ow returns to the fold
I remember commenting to someone at the recent Tourism Industry Conference in Singapore that it sounded like Keith Tan, chief executive of the Singapore Tourism Board, was making his farewell speech to the industry.
There was something [...]
Airbnb bets big on rooms, new checkout, pricing displays
Airbnb is going back to its roots – renewing its focus on individual rooms within larger properties, a concept CEO Brian Chesky calls “the soul of Airbnb.”
The introduction of “Airbnb Rooms” – with 1 million listings in the category - is part of the company’s Summer 2023 release, whic [...]
Skyscanner: Travellers look to APAC as booking windows normalise
The majority of trending destinations for Q2 and Q3 travel are in APAC, with Japan, China, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and Taiwan benefitting, according to the latest report from Skyscanner Horizons: Destination & Booking Insights Q1 2023.
The report also noted that +90 day booking windo [...]
