The direct booking secret no algorithm can beat
This week, a front desk executive succeeded where technology failed – she made me rethink my booking behaviour with a single human act. No algorithm. No AI layer. No vibe coding. Just awareness, initiative and follow-through.
Last week I checked into Amari Boulevard Kuala Lumpur. Since we launch [...]
Global Hotel Alliance loyalty revenue reaches an all-time high of $3.2 billion
UAE-headquartered Global Hotel Alliance (GHA), the world’s largest alliance of independent hotel brands, has announced its full-year 2025 financial results, reflecting the continued expansion of its brand network, member engagement, and demand across key markets, especially for international leisu [...]
Luxury redefined: From bling to meaning, from sand to soul
If the first age of luxury was about status, and the second about style, the new luxury is about substance.
As moderator Morris Sim (Montara Hospitality) put it, “Luxury is such an overused word. Everyone has their own version of it. But if we start from the customer’s point of view – who [...]
10 truths for luxury hotels in 2026
Overheard at ILTM Cannes this month were these delicious quotes about luxury hospitality from Julia Perowne, who is the CEO of the PR firm Perowne International. (Thanks to Arnie Weissmann from Travel Weekly for the coverage)
“Travellers are spending more than ever before, hotel rates are at an [...]
Why Accor is rethinking personalisation, partnerships and guest loyalty
When you’re operating across MEA and APAC, “data hygiene” quickly becomes more than a buzzword. Speaking in the WiT Studio, Kerry Healy, Chief Commercial Officer (Premium, Midscale & Economy MEA & APAC) at Accor, unpacked how the group is working toward a single, connected guest id [...]
Inside the hidden mechanics of rate leakage with Expedia Group’s Steve Quan
Steve Quan, SVP of Hotel Enterprise Partnerships at Expedia Group, lifts the lid on one of hospitality’s most persistent revenue problems - rate leakage. Expedia’s latest survey found that 98% of hoteliers are affected, but what’s really behind the problem? Steve challenges the obvious assumpt [...]
Booking Holdings’ Rob Ransom on disruption, distribution and the next travel unicorn
At Phocuswright, in a conversation that oscillated between realism and optimism, Rob Ransom, Chief Strategy Officer of Booking Holdings, laid out how the world’s largest online travel company is thinking about the most consequential shift since the dawn of online travel: the rise of AI-powered dis [...]
Letter from Seoul: High anxiety, hard questions and high stakes
“Don’t worry about the next 20, worry about the next six months”
Back in Singapore, after landing at 1am and walking my dog through tropical humidity six hours later, I found myself reflecting on the strange magic of travel.
Just 24 hours earlier, I had been in Seoul, pacing along the Han [...]
From photography, influencing and storytelling, travel’s creative minds reimagine the future
“Always go a little further into the water” – David Bowie
While much is written about the technology toys of the future, the part that too often seems to be lacking is an exploration of just how creative tomorrow’s talent needs to become, in order to help master the challenges ahead of us.
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Secondary cities, smoother visas and digital adoption dominate 2026 travel outlook
Digital travel platform Agoda has released its 2026 Travel Outlook Report, offering a data-driven analysis of the evolving travel landscape across Asia. Drawing on an extensive survey of Agoda customers in key Asia-Pacific markets, the report highlights shifts such as the rising popularity of second [...]
