Gliider does make trip planning funner
I was asked if I would test-drive the Gliider travel-planning site which was written about last week (see article). Their tagline, incidentally, is ‘Plan Funner Trips’ – make of that what you will. I’m already thinking I might not be part of the target demographic.Using Gliider works via a F [...]
Lost in Luang Prabang, reality bites in Bangkok
I spent a blissful three days with my head in the clouds in Luang Prabang, the ancient royal city of Laos, and stopped over in Bangkok to find ash in the clouds in Europe and the army on the streets in the Thai city.Wandering around Luang Prabang which by the way is the most connected place I’ve b [...]
Vietnam’s next frontier for AirAsia
The role of low cost airlines in stimulating demand for destinations is not recognised by tourism boards, says airline’s marketing chief Kathleen Tan. As of last weekend, the AirAsia group of airlines becomes five with the latest addition being VietJet AirAsia. And by the third quarter of this y [...]
Focus on the elderly and restless
Just because one is grey doesn’t mean one has to disappear in the background – in fact, anecdotal evidence as well as hard research will tell you that older people are well-travelled, hungry for more travel and are a resilient and adventurous lot.Indeed, when we were in the remote virgin rainfor [...]
After the ego-bruising, Gliider takes off
The next stage is marketing. “There is a graveyard of products that never got past the distribution stage.” CEO and co-founder Jordan Stolper shares his story with WIT.As a travel writer, he’s travelled to 65 countries. One day, when organizing a trip to Thailand, he was so frustrated that Jor [...]
The power of social media “massive”, says AirAsia
Last November’s “free sale” through its Facebook fan page broke two daily records and saved the airline millions of ringgit in advertising spend. Regional head of commercial Kathleen Tan tells Yeoh Siew Hoon about AirAsia’s social media strategy.Kathleen Tan, AirAsia’s regional head of com [...]
Free the Internet! “It’s like a towel, I don’t pay to use it”
The debate continues – should free Internet be part of a hotel service? One says no, another says, it’s not like you’re ordering dancing girls which would not be considered “normal service”Despite his belief that technology should be treated as an extension of the guest experience, Mark Ke [...]
Technology is part of the guest experience, not a cost
Technology is not core to the hotel industry but it has become core to how hotels achieve customer satisfaction and the HFTP Forum in Singapore wants to drive home the message.When you enter a hotel room, do you notice how cold it is and do you then wonder about the hotel’s energy conservation pra [...]
“It’s still bad out there but sentiment’s better”
The last time I caught up with Hans Lerch (left) was last October when we were still in the centre of the financial storm although Asia was clambering out of the ruins and Europe was still clinging to the wreckage.Eight months later, it seems Europe is still clinging to the wreckage and you could ar [...]
15% more space sold to date
Early indications are that ITB Asia will grow strongly this year. Around 15% more floor space has been sold so far this year.Exhibitors that have greatly increased, or doubled, their space this year include: the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Nepal Tourism Board, the Indonesian Ministry of Culture [...]
