Cruising goes digital: Complexity, connectivity and the human touch
Did you know that in 2009, online travel penetration in APAC was just 17.4%? By 2025, it has surged to 65.4%. The growth is huge.
Cruise, however, has always been the laggard. Flights, hotels, tours and activities all went online earlier. Cruise, with its complexity, was the last holdout. That� [...]
Online Travel In Asia: The Untold Story (Full Documentary)
The story of Asia’s online travel industry has never been simple. It has been a tale of scrappy entrepreneurs, ambitious global players, fast-changing technology, and travellers whose habits shifted as quickly as the markets themselves. Online Travel in Asia: The Untold Story is a documentary two [...]
Airbnb seems set up for hotel expansion, competition with OTAs
Airbnb is changing its service fee structure from split to single fee, potentially positioning the company to compete with online travel agencies (OTAs) like Expedia and Booking.com.
But not all affected will benefit. While it may give the short-term rental (STR) giant new opportunities to wi [...]
From family epic to future growth: How Dawn Teo is future-proofing Amara post-delisting
When I listen to Dawn Teo speak about Amara Hotels, I feel she’s not just describing a business but a Singapore family epic that spans three generations – one that started with a grandfather wanting to honour his roots, to her father building up a strong and proudly Singaporean brand and now her [...]
ZUZU raises fresh capital, bets on AI to scale soul of indie hospitality
ZUZU Hospitality has raised US$5.9 million in a Series B extension round which includes long-time backer Wavemaker Growth, with participation from Velocity Ventures and other existing investors.
The Singapore-based startup, founded in 2017 by former Expedia executive Vikram Malhi, is positioni [...]
Booking.com and hotels increasingly go their separate ways
Hotels are reporting a significant recent drop-off in sales from online travel agencies (OTAs), particularly Booking.com, after “leaning” away from them in recent years, alongside other broader industry trends.
The relationship with Booking.com has especially soured in Europe as the embattled [...]
From antelope to evolutionary explorer: Ho Kwon Ping on 30 years of Banyan and the next chapter in travel | Conversations On Turning 20
When you get to the ripe young age of 20, you’re bound to collect lots of stories – not only about the past but lessons for the future.
As WiT marks its 20th year in 2025, we turn the spotlight on our community, our tribe pioneers and leaders, to tell their stories and share their views on th [...]
Leah Lee: Building hospitality that flows like water
When South Korean hotelier Leah Lee, CEO of Trinity D&C, first applied for a job at the Michelberger boutique hotel in Berlin, she was asked for a quote which defined her. She submitted “Be water, my friend”. The Bruce Lee mantra became her passport into hospitality, and years later, it re [...]
Renaissance, luxury, freedom: The three faces of hospitality at WiT Indie
You couldn't find three more different hoteliers if you tried but Chris Ong, Doris Goh Nixon Chin, sharing their stories at WiT Indie in Penang, share one thing in common – they are each driven by a common mission to create spaces that matter to today’s travellers.
One wants to bring about a [...]
Tokyo named world’s best ‘workcation’ city; Singapore ranks fourth in Asia
Tokyo has been named the world’s best workcation city for 2025 in International Workplace Group’s (IWG) third annual Work from Anywhere Barometer, with Singapore ranking among Asia’s top cities where flexible working enables professionals to stay productive while travelling.
The ranking sees [...]
