The Wrap: SilverNeedle Collection debuts in APAC
In the news: New portfolio of boutique hotels in APAC, AirAsia’s online store rebrands, Roomorama goes Indonesian, easyJet apps win.SilverNeedle Collection debuts in APACSingapore-based SilverNeedle Hospitality launched its newest venture,SilverNeedle Collection, on October 17. This is a group o [...]
Letter from Sydney: Australia wakes up to the Asian century
So it seems like I’ve arrived in Sydney at the dawn of a new Asian century.And it certainly feels like it on first impression – I was driven to the hotel by a taxi driver from India, I am staying at the Shangri-La Hotel, a Hong Kong-based and big-on-China brand and for dinner, I had Thai chicken [...]
THack @ WIT Singapore – high commended, gamification, creativity and more
What can a single developer pull together with a handful of APIs, a creative mind and a touch of tongue-in-check? Yes, it’s the Traveling Gnome (not the roaming kind!).Developer Alexey Abolmasov, a Belarussian now living in Thailand where he works for a company called 12Go.Asia, pulled together w [...]
Customer experience, ancillaries among challenges Sabre’s trying to solve
For 15 years, Theo Panagiotoulias (pictured below) worked on the airline side of the fence, spending most of his career with American Airlines. Then earlier this year, he switched to the supplier side, joining Sabre Airlines Solutions as its vice president for Asia Pacific.Why the jump over the fen [...]
An invitation from Ibis to a Pillow Fight Party
As part of a new global rebranding campaign, Accor’s ibis brand family of economy hotels is hosting the world’s biggest virtual pillow fight through its Facebook app.The “Pillow Fight Party” invitation is opened to fans of ibis Facebook page in Asia Pacific. Participants not only stand a [...]
The king is dead, long live the new content
Photo above: “The Future of Content” panel at WIT, from left, Ross Veitch, CEO, Wego; George Mitchell, CTO & co-founder, Circos Brand Karma; Prof Adrian David Cheok; Gordon Locke, president, DCustom; and Melissa Yang, CTO & co-founder, Tujia, China.I heard it again on the podcast our “ [...]
Top travel websites for September
Wotif.com and ZUJI continue to rule the online travel space in Australia and Singapore respectively, while in Hong Kong Ctrip regained its #1 spot, displacing front-runner Jipiao.trip.taobao.com (See slides below for full details.)AustraliaWotif.com maintained its stronghold as the top online trave [...]
Lessons from WIT 2012 – ideas to heed
As you unwind after the WIT Conference last week and plug back into your work wherever you are, here’s a list of things you should heed and ideas to keep by your bedside as you plan your strategy for 2013.• You have to lose something to win at something else.Glenn Fogel (pictured left), head of [...]
AirAsia aborts acquisition of Batavia Air
AirAsia Bhd has scrapped its US$80 million takeover bid for Indonesia’s Batavia Air and will instead enter into a collaboration deal with the carrier that encompasses ground handling, distribution and inventory systems."After extensive study and discussion, the diverse nature of the two businesse [...]
WIT names Kathleen Tan Marketer of the Year
WIT-Web In Travel has recognised Kathleen Tan, group commercial head of AirAsia, as Marketer of the Year for her work in building a brand that’s distinctly Asian, proud to be Asian and a champion of Asia.The “Unplugged Plus” award, part of the annual WITovation awards, recognises an individu [...]
