Private equity firm Creador acquires hospitality marketplace MG Group
B2B hospitality marketplace MG Group has been acquired by Creador, a Southeast Asia-based private equity firm for an undisclosed amount.
The acquisition sets up Indonesia-based MG Group, which claims to have a network of 350,000 accommodation suppliers and 8,000 buyers, for global expansion, a [...]
Kayak’s Steve Hafner likens travel search to Snow White and the Seven Dwarves
Twenty years after founding Kayak with Paul English, Steve Hafner remains resolute that there is a future for travel search, even while acknowledging the growth limitations due to the dominance of Google in search and traffic acquisition.“People need a place to compare prices,” he said in an exe [...]
Takaya Shinozuka: Disrupting Japan’s travel tech with punk rock spirit
In the world of Japanese travel startups, Takaya Shinozuka stands out. The founder and CEO of Reiwa Travel, Shinozuka is not only reshaping the travel tech landscape in Japan but also embodying a spirit of rebellion and innovation inspired by his punk rock roots.
Speaking at WiT Seoul, the entrep [...]
Trailblazing travel tech in Korea: The Journeys of Donggun Lee and Jiha Jung
In the world of Korean travel tech, two entrepreneurs – Donggun Lee, the visionary founder of MyRealTrip, and Jiha Jung, the driving force behind Tripbtoz.
Lee, who won the WiT Startup Pitch in Japan in 2014, started MyRealTrip in 2012, using tours and activities as an entry point. Jung, who wo [...]
Hopper’s HTS lands second card partnership in South Korea
Travel booking portal to be launched with Woori Card
HTS, the B2B division of Hopper, has landed its second partnership in South Korea, signing on card company Woori Card, a subsidiary of Woori Financial Group.
The agreement calls on HTS, which now accounts for over 75% of the Hopper business, t [...]
Rise in direct sales and low cost carriers are keeping intermediaries on their toes
The airline industry is undergoing a significant shift as major airlines ramp up their efforts to sell directly to travellers, in an attempt to bypass intermediaries like online travel agencies (OTAs) and Global Distribution Systems (GDS).
At the same time, low cost carriers (LCCs) are expanding [...]
OTAs have to stay agile amid breakneck pace of change
Adrienne Enggist: “We’re constantly riding this edge of risk, protecting customers takes the number one priority”
With things “moving at such an enormously breakneck pace”, OTAs, big and small, have to stay agile, leveraging advances in processing power and AI to keep up with customer exp [...]
Ixigo’s “Love Train” To Success: Cracking The Code in the Indian Travel Market
A 20-year “overnight success” story
In the song “Love Train”, The O’Jays called on “people all over the world, everybody, join hands, start a love train, love train”.
Well, if Aloke Bajpai, Chairman, Managing Director and Group CEO, ixigo, had his way, he’d want all of us to ge [...]
Greg Schulze on Global Growth and the Future of Travel Tech: “The Work is Never Done”
Strong Q3 results bolsters his optimism for the opportunity ahead
After 19 years with Expedia Group, Greg Schulze is still as starry-eyed as he was when he first joined the travel industry as a data analyst in American Airlines.
Now, as the Chief Commercial Officer, he’s taken on a new role th [...]
How Ascott thinks about return on technology and innovation
Striking a balance between finance and sustainability, and commerce
In the Eurythmics’ song “Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves”, Annie Lennox croons, “Standin' on their own two feet, And ringin' on their own bells, we say, Sisters are doin' it for themselves”.
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