Letter from New York: Sleep tourism’s the next big thing
From Booking.com’s “Reboot Retreaters” prediction to sleep suites in hotels, travellers are yearning for a good snooze
I suppose it is ironic that I am writing about sleep in a city that doesn’t sleep but travelling to New York on that epic 18-hour flight from Singapore has a tendency to se [...]
WiT Podcast: Expedia’s Paredes on how to build successful partnerships
On the first episode of Expedia Talks, a special series powered by Expedia Group, we speak with Alfonso Paredes (SVP, Commercial Partnerships, Expedia Group) about finding synergy in a competitive travel market, looking for common goals among collaborators, and how tech is helping build bridges inst [...]
Bansko attracts nomads. Tackling ticket scammers. MATTA’s tiger tokens. More.
This week: Small Bulgarian town has become a magnet for digital nomads, sports ticket seller is kicking goals for travel professionals, e-wallets are opening across Malaysia and Airbnb cops a big fine in Italy.
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Move over, Bali: Bansko is where the nomads [...]
The possibilities & responsibilities of travel in the age of AI and tech
Report From the Global Travel Tech Thinktank at WiT Singapore 2023
The first Global Travel Tech Thinktank, held by WiT, Phocuswright and Phocuswire, in 2022, covered the theme of “How To Future Proof Travel: Resilience, Responsibility, Respect”.
A direct outcome of that Thinktank was the lau [...]
Welcome to the “Squid Game” of Korean travel startup world
K Travel Tech Summit puts spotlight on role models and aspiring stars
If there was one key message from the first K Travel Tech Summit, held in conjunction with WiT Seoul, and organized by the Korea Tourism Organisation, it is that Korean travel startups are more than ready to take on the world.
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The heart work of socialising travel’s green revolution
“Incentivising the traveller is one thing, and then there’s really immersing the traveller in sustainability – without making them feel like it's homework. Because no one wants to do homework on holidays.”
The push for more sustainable travel has become an accepted option-of-choice for disc [...]
Changi’s T2 is back. Tourism needs AI. Thai Vietjet gets “smart”. Uncovering WebBeds.
AI and tourism: a revolution you can’t ignore
Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) is, in the short term, unlikely to change the human input needed for the end delivery of tourism product but has huge potential to streamline the complexities of the booking process and increasing internal bu [...]
2024: Rebooters, surrenderers, and foodies to set new travel trends
Booking.com has released its annual Travel Predictions research, revealing that travel will be at “the core of existence” in 2024. In other words, the report says that travel will shift from being an escape from reality into a core part of life.
Booking.com’s report states that 80% of APA [...]
The audience decides at this year’s Great WiT Debate – “AI will make us less human”
Leaders from some of the world’s biggest travel and tech companies debate for and against… but audience sides with the FOR team!
Leaders from Agoda, Global Tix, Airbnb, Expedia and Klook took to the stage for Web in Travel’s infamous Great Debate this year at the WiT Singapore conference Oct [...]
Money, sustainability and tech dominate talk in hospitality boardrooms
Sensor Flow wins HICAP's first Tech Challenge, showing what's top of mind for hotel executives
In moderating the “Views From the Boardroom” panel, at the HICAP hospitality investment conference last week, I did some homework to find out how boardroom conversations in hospitality companies had c [...]
