How Thailand’s “Elephant Whisperer” made it through the pandemic
When voluntourism disppeared, Elephant Nature Park got creative
SOCIAL media and a caring, connected community have largely been responsible for the smooth running of the Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai, Thailand, since it was established in 1996. So when Covid came along and broke the connectiv [...]
Enough of solo, APAC travellers now want to go with friends, says Klook
Travelling with friends seems to be the preferred thing to do, now that travellers in Asia Pacific are back on the road.
According to Klook’s latest traveler trends research, users in the Asia Pacific prefer traveling with friends, with only 30% expressing interest in taking a spontaneous solo [...]
Humour from Switzerland, in-your-face from Singapore, body art from Philippines – destination videos that rock
One thing you have to thank the pandemic for is the extra burst of creativity it’s given destination marketing.
From cool places like Iceland to remote spots like Faroe Islands, that united us in yearning and humour during the pandemic, we will always remember this period for its inspiration in [...]
Letter from Northumberland: Hello, New World
“WHAT’s life like in Singapore? Is it expensive?” asked my Albanian driver on the way from Manchester to Newcastle, roughly a three-hour car ride. He was complaining about the high costs of living, and rising fuel prices, in this land which he moved to almost 15 years ago.
I told him Singap [...]
As global wellness booms, real estate pivots to hospitality-meets-hospital
MK Real Estate makes wellness play with RAKxa, and more to come
AT a recent WiT event, when Chris Hemmeter, managing partner of Thayer Ventures, a travel and hospitality-focused fund was asked what he believed the biggest change Covid would bring to hospitality, he said, “I think the whole world [...]
Traveller confidence is high, so is interest in sustainability
But industry must give right information, otherwise “it’s disingenuous or meaningless”
THE three markets that are most interested in travelling are also the ones most interested in travelling sustainably, according to Booking.com’s inaugural APAC Traveler Confidence Index, shared at the OTA [...]
Global travel search nears pre-pandemic levels; half of top city pairs fully recovered
Amadeus Travel Pulse shows India leading green shoots for travel in APAC
FOR the first four months of 2022, search volumes around the globe have been increasing, almost reaching 2019 levels, according to Amadeus Travel Pulse, which measures air travel search data.
Frédéric Barou, Senior Vice [...]
From “hilltribe lady” to “tea lady”: The making of Araksa
When inbound travel stopped, specialty tea making and community experiences flourished
“It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my career,” said Chananya Phataraprasit as she introduced me to the 17 (soon to be 18) types of speciality teas her Araksa Tea Garden in Chiang Mai is currently p [...]
“Be really good at one thing”: Focus pays off for Trip101
Longer stays, workations helping to fuel travel guide's growth
GROWTH in vacation rental and Airbnb bookings in the US and around the world gave travel media startup Trip101 a strong performance in 2021.
The Singapore-based startup saw growth across all metrics in 2021 – 87% in Gross Merchan [...]
From founder to CEO, Agoda’s CEO-in-waiting on startup journey, tactics and tech
THE startup he founded was acquired by Booking Holdings and now he’s the CEO-in-waiting of Agoda, waiting to step into the role on July 1. How did he get from founder to employee to CEO? Omri Morgenshtern, currently COO, Agoda talks about his personal evolution, the lessons he’s learnt along the [...]
