Letter from UAE: Excuse me, have you got my reservation yet? The art of dealing with the last minute
The last time I was in Abu Dhabi four years ago, there was a lot of talk about the development to come that would transform this emirati of 214 islands into a tourism destination – among them, the Saadiyat Cultural District that would comprise the Louvre, Guggenheim and Zayed National Museum.
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Cleartrip lays down solid road map to become “OTA to the emerging world”
At the last WiT Middle East in Dubai in 2015, Stuart Crighton, CEO of Cleartrip, made it very clear the OTA would bet big on mobile given the high mobile penetration in the region, a trend markedly similar to its home market in India.
Articulating his vision then, he said Cleartrip did not wish [...]
Lessons from Aliens on the Galactic Silk Road: Space tourism, creating experiences and dreaming of AI with empathy
Science fiction has always informed the future and it was interesting to hear speakers at Melon, the sci-fi and fantasy conference address themes such as space travel, consumers wanting experiences, versus static content, the rise of China and the role of AI and machine learning to create stories a [...]
The Wrap: Marriott unveils “one-stop shop” for APAC meeting planners
In the news: Marriot’s new digital platform for APAC meeting and event planners, United Airlines first carrier for Sabre NDC booking capability, 777 Partners’ equity stake in Canada’s Flair Airlines
Hotels: Marriott unveils “one-stop shop” for APAC meeting planners
A resource cent [...]
How to maximise your travel brand presence using social and videos
Instagram, which was created by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger and launched in October 2010 as a photo-sharing and, later, video-sharing social networking service (now owned by Facebook that acquired it in 2012 for US$1 billion), has become one of the world’s largest social media platforms.
Ac [...]
African expertise puts Travelstart in good stead to tap Middle East growth
With South Africa as its home base and its businesses spread across the African continent, Travelstart believes its roots and experience make it well suited to take on the emerging and fragmented markets of the Middle East. Paulina Klotzbucher, managing director, Travelstart, who has overview of th [...]
Cracking local payments is key to unlocking potential of Middle East
When you combine three forces – a young demographic, an aspirational market of travellers and strong mobile adoption – it stands to reason that the future for online and mobile payments is bright in the Middle East.
Spending is on the rise, said Remo Giovanni Abbondandolo, VP of Business Dev [...]
The Wrap: Kuala Lumpur-Singapore crowned world’s busiest international route for second straight year
In the news: Asia Pacific home to world’s busiest flight routes, more rail options for Ctrip users in Amadeus tie-up, Fliggy’s new shopping channel
Aviation: Kuala Lumpur-Singapore crowned world’s busiest international route for second straight year
The hour-long flght from Kuala Lumpu [...]
Letter from Penang: Why indies who pursue love matter in the big money world of travel
Each time I return to Penang, I discover
a new and interesting business set up by yet another entrepreneur out to make a
difference on the island. This island, after all, was built by traders,
merchants and immigrants, much like my father.
Hikayat is a new creative and arts space founded by [...]
For love and money: From Taipei to Penang, how two independent hoteliers are doing it their way
With the theme of “Love & Money: How To Do Both” threading through WiT Indie held in Penang on March 15, it was interesting to hear the responses from speakers when asked to choose one or the other.
Benjamin Liao, chairman of Taiwan’s Forte Hotel Group, created laughter when he said, [...]
