AirAsiaGo to take “online travel agents by storm”
AirAsia has launched its one-stop online travel portal which it says will revolutionise the way travel plans are made. Indeed, Kathleen Tan, regional head of commercial, said the launch of AirAsiaGo.com “charts another milestone for the online travel agent industry” and that the airline intends [...]
Connections, not costs, the driver behind “landmark” interline agreement
It’s being called a “landmark” interline agreement – the one signed between Air France KLM and the Jetstar Group yesterday in Singapore.Landmark because it’s the first for the European traditional full service carrier to sign such an agreement with Asia Pacific’s fastest growing low cost [...]
Poland to star at ITB Berlin 2011
Next year Poland will be the Partner Country of ITB Berlin. ITB Berlin asked Jan Wawrzyniak, director of the Polish Tourist Board, what we can expect in 2011.Next year Poland will be the Partner Country of ITB Berlin. What objectives are you pursuing through your collaboration with the fair?As th [...]
High-tech, high-touch works for Mercury Travels
As someone who’s worked in the travel industry for about three decades, Ashwini Kakkar, vice chairman of Mercury Travels, India and chairman of Via, has seen the industry through the ups and downs, and all the changes.Ashwini, who cut his teeth with Thomas Cook in India and expanded the network to [...]
Taiwan agents getting bolder with online play
Travel agents in Taiwan are feeling a heightened need to get online and there’s also a growing realization that that means more than just having a website, said Daver Lau, general manager, Amadeus Taiwan.“The entry barrier is still quite high though for new agents wanting to get online and do it [...]
There’s nothing like simplicity
Whether it was intentional or not, I heard the strains of “Don’t Dream It’s Over”, the song by Crowded House used in the 100% Pure New Zealand campaign in the background in the room where the press conference was being held.I suspect it was unintentional – after all, why on earth would Tou [...]
Qantas “undiminished” to fight off competitors and grow
Despite a time “when we’ve seen everything thrown at us except a plaque of locusts”, Qantas has continued to be profitable, thanks to its two-brand strategy and diversified portfolio of assets.CEO Alan Joyce (left), addressing the media attending the Australian Tourism Exchange in Adelaide thi [...]
Behind the thinking of “Nothing Like Australia”
Is digital cheaper? And can you build a destination brand using digital? Yeoh Siew Hoon catches up with Nick Baker, executive general manager-marketing, Tourism Australia the weekend before the new brand launch of “Nothing Like Australia”.Q: Is it cheaper to build a digitally-based campaign?No. [...]
Travel reviews: Game on
Asia’s becoming the latest battleground for travel reviews. I am just surprised it’s taken this long.And the battle will be between a global, established brand trying to scale in Asia and a local, Indian brand trying to scale outside its home market.One is bringing in an established model that� [...]
Holiday IQ brings its travel review model to Asia
Holiday IQ, which says it is India’s answer to TripAdvisor but with a local twist, is setting up base in Singapore to expand into the region.According to Hari Nair, founder & CEO of Holiday IQ, it’s taken four years for the company to get to where it is now ready to expand.It has one million [...]
