Emirates flies with Spotnana. Expedia powers Cathay. Swiipr eases disruption. SITA goes swimming. More.
Heading out to the best real-life experiences
Headout has acquired the team behind start-up Dabble to help build a generation of AI-powered travel experiences for Headout users.
Dabble, founded by Neil Mathew, Prasenjit Mukherjee and Yan Ma, “sits at the intersection of AI, computer vision and [...]
As JTB returns to profit, Eijiro Yamakita talks about emotion in age of AI and investments in future
It was interesting that when asked which human quality they’d like to improve on as we hurtle into the age of Generative AI, travel leaders at WiT Japan & North Asia cited “emotional intelligence”, “empathy”, “listening” and “patience” among their answers.
Eijiro Yamakita, P [...]
Lighthouse expands in APAC, brings its insights to hoteliers in the region
The newly-rebranded Lighthouse (formerly OTA Insight) is keen to shine more light on data insights for hoteliers in Asia Pacific. Chief Revenue Officer, David Collier, during a recent visit to Singapore, shared that with the business experiencing significant global growth, Lighthouse is keen to expa [...]
Lotte Card launches travel loyalty portal, powered by Hopper
Lotte Card Co., Ltd., a prominent Korean credit card issuer, has partnered with Hopper Technology Solutions (HTS) to develop a travel loyalty portal for Lotte Card cardholders. This new feature, integrated into the 'Digi-LOCA' app, will offer services such as flights, accommodations, and car rentals [...]
Emotional marketing, speedy AI-powered searches and creator content top highlights at EXPLORE 24
“AI does not create magic; you need human intelligence to know where to use it and how to use it,” says new CEO
EXPLORE, Expedia’s annual partner conference, reached a milestone this year with its 25th installment. It was also Expedia’s first flagship event in two years, albeit having held [...]
Starlink in Bali. Flying with Meta. Skyscanner gets Savvy. Virtual pink soup. More.
A star is born in Bali.
Starlink is coming to Bali – a move that will no doubt delight the island’s global nomads and tech entrepreneurs – although whether they will fork out the extra dollars for the Starlink service rather than stick with local Internet providers remains to be seen.
Elon [...]
Hoteliers to increase tech investments by 16% in 2024, focus on personalisation and AI
Amadeus has released its latest report, "Travel Technology Investment Trends 2024," highlighting significant trends in technology investment within the hospitality sector. The report reveals that hoteliers are planning to increase their technology investments by an average of 16% over the next 12 mo [...]
People are the metric in new Perfect Somewheres awards, spotlighting top hotels worldwide
Expedia's Mel Fish on tackling 'choice paralysis' and balancing quality with affordability
Expedia Group's Hotels.com introduced the 'Perfect Somewheres' 2024 at EXPLORE 24, a program that awards the top 1% of hotels available on the Hotels.com app, with hotels like Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo and Hotel [...]
Expedia launches AI travel assistant and creator shops in 40+ spring product slate
At EXPLORE, Expedia’s annual partner conference held in Las Vegas, the company announced the launch of 40+ new products and features across its tech ecosystem - chief of all being the introduction of Romie, an AI-powered travel assistant.
Romie is designed to assist travellers at every step of [...]
Sentosa signs multi-lateral MoU with key players to develop Sentosa Precinct Partnership
Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC), Resorts World Sentosa (RWS), DBS Bank (DBS), and Singapore Tourism Board (STB) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to enhance Sentosa’s guest experience through the development of a Sentosa Precinct Partnership. This multi-lateral partnership aims [...]
