Zoomers bloom. Alipay+ goes local. Robotaxi wars heat up. More.
Zoomers on the move in China
China Trading Desk’s latest 15,000-person report shows the continued growth in Chinese outbound travel volumes and that Chinese tourists are increasingly opting for more luxurious accommodations and longer trips booked later and later.
According to China Trading De [...]
Asian mass-affluent travellers expected to invest in long-haul trips, with multiple destination stops
Expedia Group unveiled its study highlighting the preferences of the growing Asian middle class, expected to reach 3.5 billion people and make up two-thirds of the world’s middle class by 2030. The study provides travel industry professionals with the context to better serve the increasing number [...]
Vouch harnesses AI to boost hotel efficiency and revenue
Vouch, a hotel operations management solutions provider, recently announced the expansion of its product suite with innovative AI-powered features. Vouch is a multi-award-winning platform which services 35,000+ rooms across 32 cities, supporting hoteliers to boost revenue, enhance guest experience, [...]
Kabuk Style announces partnership with Hotelbeds to expand global destinations
Kabuk Style Inc., the company behind HafH, an online subscription hotel booking service, recently announced an strategic partnership with Hotelbeds, a leading online distributor for wholesalers, supply partners and destinations worldwide. This collaboration is a milestone in Kabuk Style’s miss [...]
HalalTrip’s Saudi ambitions in-sync with Kingdom’s Vision 2030 transformation
Singapore-based Muslim travel specialist aims to promote Saudi beyond Hajj and Umrah
The expansion of multi-layered tourist visas and a national drive to diversify the economy has positioned Saudi Arabia as a rising destination for both domestic and international tourists. Couple that with its sign [...]
AI in the air. Toyota backs air taxis. A boost for Podcasters. Switchless, pay less. More
This is your Captain AI speaking
Turkey’s Pegasus Airlines has launched a multilingual project allowing flights to Spanish, Arabic, and Russian-speaking countries to feature AI-generated announcements in the respective local language, following the English version.
The Pegasus Innovation Lab, [...]
Chinese tourists explore beyond capitals and opt for live entertainment during Golden Week 2024
As millions of Chinese travellers prepare for the upcoming Golden Week holiday in October, both Trip.com Group and Alibaba Group-owned Fliggy have released data revealing travel flows for their last major travel period of 2024. Already, Trip.com Group is witnessing hotel bookings peak in arrivals on [...]
How can Velma help? Remote worker visas for Southeast Asia. HBX launches Marketing Suite. More.
Velma’s now listening at Warwick Hotels
Global hospitality brand Warwick Hotels and Resorts has selected Velma, Paris-based Quicktext’s AI technology, to streamline guests’ interactions.
Velma, the virtual assistant for hotels globally, is based on Q-Brain+, the hybridisation of classic [...]
Gen Y and Z travel intent for 2025: Social media a major deciding factor in key demographics
Ibis, a leading economy hotel brand under the Accor umbrella, has unveiled its first global travel trends report focused on Generation Y and Z. In collaboration with the travel trend forecasting agency Globetrender, the report explores the evolving travel preferences and intentions of young traveler [...]
The quest for longevity: What’s travel got to do with it?
Over truffled mushroom canapes and lemongrass-ginger infusion tea, I asked Dr. Athasit Amornthanomchoke, an anti-ageing and preventive medicine doctor, practising at the RAKxa Integrative Wellness Retreat in Bangkok, if he saw a lot of male customers and what was the most common reason for their vis [...]
