Shifting traveller trends: Asia and Middle East make waves in Barcelona
I’ve always felt at home in Spain, almost a sense of déjà vu each time I visit, and it thus felt fitting that I should be bringing the flavours of Asia, as well as the emerging markets of Middle East and Africa into the first Phocuswright Europe in Barcelona. Consider the similarities in our foo [...]
Almosafer and Klook unveil a digital marketplace for Tours and Experiences in Saudi Arabia
The new platform connects Saudi Arabia travellers to global platforms, starting with Klook
Almosafer, part of the Seera Group, has joined forces with Klook, a key travel and experiences platform in Asia, to launch Almosafer Activities. This joint venture introduces the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's fir [...]
Look out for the “Uber of generative AI” in travel
“I hope to be around when the next big thing arrives,” says Chris Hemmeter
Who will be the first travel startup to create the “Uber of generative AI”? That’s the challenge Chris Hemmeter, managing director of Thayer Ventures, issued at the Innovation Roundtable at Phocuswright Europe taki [...]
Velocity Ventures launches “heartware” initiative targeting various sectors in travel
Corporate Partners Program aims to support the ecosystem by helping startups access industry and innovation professionals.
Velocity Ventures, a prominent investor in travel and hospitality tech in Southeast Asia, is spearheading an initiative to address the challenges faced by the various s [...]
Mapping cherry blossoms in Japan. Airbus helps elephants. Hopper’s risky business, more
Flickr’s role in cherry blossom research
Research by Monash University experts has tracked Japanese hanami (flower viewing) via social media images, producing a remarkable map of cherry blossoms across Japan to document their annual bloom and calculate its peak in major cities.
The study gathe [...]
Go City and QPSOFTWARE are developing a WeChat mini program in China
The partnership aims to enhance travel experiences in China's dynamic market
Go City, a global attraction pass company, has announced its collaboration with QPSOFTWARE as the lead technical agency for the development of a WeChat mini program in China. This initiative aims to cater to the needs of C [...]
Listen: The golden age of travel disruption is here, says Wego chief
Last year at WiT Singapore, Ross Veitch, Chief Executive & Co-founder, Wego made a number of bold predictions about the future of travel, technology, and the Artificial Intelligence revolution. Trust us, you'll be surprised at how many he got right. He dishes out a few hot takes on the ways jobs [...]
Growing Hilton in APAC: Deploying AI, innovating the app and enhancing “the stay”
With 126 hotels opening this year in Asia Pacific, you could say Hilton is growing at its fastest in the region, although Ben George, APAC SVP & commercial director, concedes, not as fast as generative AI is developing.
“This whole AI vertical is growing so fast,” he told me during one of [...]
BritGPT is AI on roids; Unbundling travel insurance; Guinness World Records validates Travelport+
Brits put AI on “steroids”
The UK government plans to invest £900m in a cutting-edge supercomputer, as part of its new artificial intelligence (AI) strategy – a move will enable the country to build its own “BritGPT”.
Adam Harris, founder & CEO of Cloudbeds, which provides techno [...]
Expedia doubles down on B2B with new partnerships and tech features
55% revenue growth in Q1 driven by pace of adoption of partners
Following a strong quarter for Expedia Group’s B2B segment where it delivered 55% in revenue growth compared to 2022, the company announced new partnerships and tech features aimed at expanding its partner network, at Expedia Group� [...]
