IATA Travel Pass, set for March launch, seeks to give governments confidence to re-open borders
With APAC air travel at 5% of 2019 levels, need for “globally accepted framework” is acute.
THE IATA Travel Pass, currently in pilot phase with Singapore Airlines, IAG Group, Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar Airways, and targeted for launch by March, will hopefully give confidence to governments [...]
Here’s looking at you, 2021, Part 4: Disappointing start for China, proceed with caution and hope
WE kick off the year with a gathering of views and opinions from our community of industry leaders on their outlook for 2021, from their level of optimism and their plans to get through the year. Here’s the fourth collection.
Steve Saxon, partner with McKinsey & Company, China (f [...]
Klook proves mettle, raises $200m to digitise industry on back of Covid
KLOOK today announced that it has raised US$200 million in additional funding. The Series E round was led by Aspex Management, an investment fund focused on Asia Pacific, in addition to other new investors. Sequoia Capital China, Softbank Vision Fund 1, Matrix Partners China, and Boyu Capital, who [...]
Skycanner identifies unserved routes to help aviation partners in recovery
SKYSCANNER is helping its airlines and airports partners on their recovery journey with the introduction of Unserved Routes’ data module, which identifies untapped demand for new direct flight services.
According to Skyscanner, this new tool helps the aviation sector “leverage forward lookin [...]
The Wrap: KL International Airport to use facial recognition for passenger authentication, D-EDGE launches new resource platform, and more
THE
Wrap is a round-up of news in the travel and technology industries, and to keep
track of developments in these sectors as businesses adapt and reset to meet
challenges in the era of coronavirus.
Malaysia Airports to roll out facial recognition for faster, safer passenger authentication, repl [...]
Post-Spacemob/WeWork, Fuad makes fintech play with new “BNPL” startup Pace
EIGHT months after his departure from WeWork, veteran entrepreneur Turochas “T” Fuad has unveiled his newest startup in the hot “Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL)” space, Pace Enterprise (Pace).
Armed with a “high seven-figure” seed round co-led by Vertex Ventures, a Temasek subsidiary, and A [...]
Business travel will come back more sophisticated with bigger role for TMCs, says Amadeus
BUSINESS travel, when it returns, will likely be initiated for different reasons, have different requirements for planning, and travellers and corporates will place value on different considerations.
Amadeus’
recent report “Reboot. Recharge. Rethink Business Travel”, based on interviews
co [...]
Marriott International pushes ahead with Asia growth plans
Some 100 properties expected to open this year
MARRIOTT International is expecting to open 100 properties in Asia Pacific in 2021, after celebrating its 800th milestone hotel opening in the region with 75 properties added to its portfolio last year. Nearly 27,000 rooms were added to the regio [...]
Here’s looking at you, 2021, Part 3: Better prepared and investing to build back stronger
WE kick off the year with a gathering of views and opinions from our community of industry leaders on their outlook for 2021, from their level of optimism and their plans to get through the year. Here’s the third collection.
Michael Hobson, CEO, Lanson Place, Hong Kong
Q: How woul [...]
Here’s looking at you, 2021, Part 2: Forwards, backwards; hang on in there for the “gigantic travel boom”
WE kick off the year with a gathering of views and opinions from our community of industry leaders on their outlook for 2021, from their level of optimism and their plans to get through the year. Here’s the second collection.
John Brown, CEO, Agoda
Q: How would you describe the st [...]
