92% of travellers won’t let AI hit “Book.” What will they let it do? | WiT Studio
Google’s Laura-Marie Arens on why APAC travelers are planning earlier, trusting unpolished videos, and skipping the usual hotspots.
We sat down with Laura-Marie Arens, Google’s Head of Travel Vertical Search APAC, to talk about a multi-layered question - are travellers ready to let AI take over [...]
Fast feet, centre court: Agoda’s leaders on building for a future nobody can see
Twelve years in, Agoda’s CEO Omri Morgenshtern and CTO Idan Zalzberg still talk like founders. At WiT Singapore, I asked them what the next chapter looks like when the ball could come from anywhere.
I have known Agoda long enough to remember when it was the scrappy Bangkok upstart that most peopl [...]
Will AI replace the OTA? AirAsia MOVE’s Ben-Jie doesn’t think so
The Chief People and Partnerships Officer on what he looks for when hiring, why indie hotels matter, and the mistakes smaller brands make when trying to scale.
Everyone’s talking about AI, and the hiring chatter is loudest of all. So, has it changed who AirAsia MOVE actually hires? You’d expect [...]
Klook partners with Meta’s Muse to bring agentic travel experiences booking to Asia
Klook, a global platform for experiences, has partnered with Meta to integrate its offerings with Muse, as the personal Al agent makes its debut in Japan.
The integration enables travellers to search, discover, assess, book and pay for Klook experiences through a single conversation with Muse, co [...]
The shifts in travel: The who, how and why, 21 years on
On the flight from Singapore to Bangkok, the captain’s voice stopped me. A woman’s. I hope one day I won’t notice anymore, but it’s still rare enough that I do. A quick search: 102 female pilots across the Singapore Airlines Group, including Scoot. That’s 2.8% of 3,676.
On the way back, [...]
Travel will become experience-first: GetYourGuide doubles down on Asia
A year ago, when GetYourGuide brought its Unlocked Summit to Asia for the first time, I sensed first-time jitters, some trepidation as to how the event and its content would be received by partners. This year, I sensed much more confidence, more purposefulness.
And I guess one shouldn’t be surp [...]
Expedia Group launches Autonomous Onboarding, the first phase of its Autonomous Distribution roadmap
Expedia Group has announced AUTONOMOUS ONBOARDING, which it says is a faster, simpler way for properties to join its global travel marketplace without leaving the connectivity software they already use. The company says properties can select Expedia Group as a distribution channel, accept their agre [...]
Houldsworth: Putting Asia, happiness and all, at the heart of Booking
Every WiT Singapore 2026 speaker was asked to pick a song that captures a new beginning. Laura Houldsworth, Managing Director, Asia Pacific at Booking.com, chose Bon Jovi’s “It’s My Life.” A few times in her life, she said, she has had to make critical decisions, and the song speaks to those [...]
Loyalty: Stay benefits and price accounts for 62% of membership choice and subscriber behaviour
Accor Plus releases findings from year-long research on consumer attitudes to travel loyalty subscriptions
Accor Plus has released 'The New Travel Value Exchange’, a new report that examines what consumers value in travel loyalty subscriptions. The year-long research, involving 7,078 consumers a [...]
GetYourGuide drives global momentum as APAC becomes its fastest-growing region
Announced at Unlocked Bangkok, comes with a new Bali partnership and Thailand as its top destination in the region
GetYourGuide, a leading global online marketplace to discover and book the world's best tours and activities, today announced that the APAC region was its fastest-growing region global [...]
