How Thailand’s “Elephant Whisperer” made it through the pandemic
When voluntourism disppeared, Elephant Nature Park got creative
SOCIAL media and a caring, connected community have largely been responsible for the smooth running of the Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai, Thailand, since it was established in 1996. So when Covid came along and broke the connectiv [...]
Letter from 30,000 feet: Why worry, be happy, and dreaming of digital twins
I AM writing this on a flight bound for Amsterdam where I will connect to Nantes, France. I am a tad anxious because everyone is warning me what a mess travelling in Europe is these days – harrowing stories of delays in even Schiphol, in my book, one of the best airports in the world.
It seems [...]
Enough of solo, APAC travellers now want to go with friends, says Klook
Travelling with friends seems to be the preferred thing to do, now that travellers in Asia Pacific are back on the road.
According to Klook’s latest traveler trends research, users in the Asia Pacific prefer traveling with friends, with only 30% expressing interest in taking a spontaneous solo [...]
Sequoia launches $850m SEA fund, Trip picks CHOOOSE
SEQUOIA Capital, marking its 50th anniversary, has raised $2.85 billion to fund Indian and South-east Asian startups. The fundraising is its largest so far for India and Southeast Asia.
A total of $850 million will go towards Sequoia's first fund dedicated to South-east Asia, Sequoia SEA Fund I.
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YouTrip firing on all cylinders as it launches YouBiz – next, travel insurance
How the pandemic crystallised its mission to be “borderless banking platform” for travellers in South-east Asia
HAVING raised a total of $56m since its founding in 2017 – the last round of $35m happened last year, YouTrip, which wants to be a borderless banking platform serving the needs of [...]
Humour from Switzerland, in-your-face from Singapore, body art from Philippines – destination videos that rock
One thing you have to thank the pandemic for is the extra burst of creativity it’s given destination marketing.
From cool places like Iceland to remote spots like Faroe Islands, that united us in yearning and humour during the pandemic, we will always remember this period for its inspiration in [...]
Yanolja Cloud names David Peller as EVP, launches into f&b with Gusto X
YANOLJA Cloud, the Software-as-a-Service company owned by South Korea’s Yanolja, continues its expansion with the appointment of a global senior leader and a joint venture in the f&b sector.
It has appointed David Peller, formerly managing director, travel and hospitality, Amazon Web Servic [...]
With $70m and fourth acquisition in hand, Bookaway set to take next leap forward
How a honeymoon idea started in Asia, and grew during the pandemic
HAVING raised a total of $70 million in the last 12 months, and finalised a fourth acquisition, Bookaway Group, which wants to be the Booking.com of buses, rail and ferries, is ready to scale its business for the next leap forward. [...]
Letter from Northumberland: Hello, New World
“WHAT’s life like in Singapore? Is it expensive?” asked my Albanian driver on the way from Manchester to Newcastle, roughly a three-hour car ride. He was complaining about the high costs of living, and rising fuel prices, in this land which he moved to almost 15 years ago.
I told him Singap [...]
Strong international traffic propels continuing air travel recovery
AIR travel, driven primarily by international demand, resumed its strong recovery trend in April, despite the war in Ukraine and travel restrictions in China, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA) .
Total demand for air travel in April 2022 (measured in revenue passen [...]
