Embracing mobile, sustainability, and unique experiences – insights from an indie traveller at heart
What is the value we are bringing travellers, asks Branavan
In a vibrant gathering of travel enthusiasts and industry leaders at WiT Indie 2023 (Penang, Malaysia), Branavan Aruljothi, (Cluster Market Lead, Malaysia, Booking.com), took the stage and shared his journey as an indie traveller while s [...]
Indie travel urged, it’s time to be optimistic, proactive, and bold again
“Healthy cultural progress within a technology-based word depends on the curiosity, imagination and boldness of individuals, of entrepreneurs, of people who dare to see what is not there yet.” - Dato’ Dr. Ooi Kee Beng
As the executive director of host venue Penang Institute, Dato’ Dr. Ooi K [...]
Sold out! How Singapore won the music tourism lottery
The city-state went all out and supplied to a surging demand, reaping the rewards of a regional gap in the market.
According to Dictionary.com, the word “flex”, when used as slang, means to boast or brag; show off. Cambridge Dictionary, on the other hand, describes it as “to show that you are [...]
Finding the new: Travel pros are shifting marketing strategies and redefining experiences
Insights on the changing landscape of destination marketing and the power of personalized experiences
In the wake of the pandemic, destinations worldwide were forced to pivot their marketing strategies and find innovative ways to attract local customers. As travel resumes and borders reopen, the fo [...]
Breaking the illusion: Apple Vision Pro can’t replicate “real” experiences
"There is a lot of effort and money going into trying to make synthetic experiences as real as possible."
At the WIT Japan and North Asia, Siew Hoon (Founder, WiT) posed a question. She asked “Apple Vision Pro – the beginning of spatial computing. This will be massive for travel inspiration [...]
Uncovering future opportunities in red ocean and soft power of Japan
From digital collaboration to new desires of travellers, travel brands seize new growth in Japan
The first thing you notice when you land at Haneda airport is how busy it is – from immigration to customs to the taxi rank – despite it being almost 10pm. I think I waited almost an hour for a tax [...]
The story behind MGM Resorts’ ambitious $10b integrated resort in Japan
Jiro Kawakami: “Most people think Las Vegas is a big gaming market but it’s only $8b in annual gaming revenues. Japan’s market is huge.”
It’s been a long time coming but this April, after years and years of waiting, MGM Resorts International received the green light to develop a resort in [...]
Why the medium-term is critical to AI disruption
What is more natural than a conversation? This may be the biggest promise of generative or autonomous AI.
Omri Morgenshtern, CEO of Agoda, gets to grips with the possibilities of Generative AI in travel in the short to medium term.
It seems there are two distinct camps when it comes to the futur [...]
Trials & Tribulations of Nigeria: Not for the faint-hearted but vast potential
Travelstart builds new tech to fuel new dreams on back of recovery
You couldn’t pick a more challenging market than Nigeria to build an online travel business – poor economy for starters, 1.6% credit card penetration for another, currency issues etc, etc, – but therein lies the opportunity [...]
Building Meili and Manna: How Bobby Healy wants to end “fiasco of car hire brokering” and change the world of delivery
The one thing you can count on when you speak to Bobby Healy is, he’s a straight shooter. When you ask him why he founded Meili Travel Technology, his new car rental business in direct competition with CarTrawler, the company he helped build over 15 years, his answer, “It was the right thing to [...]
