How to thrive amid disruption in a globalised world: Lessons from tech and travel giants
At
the STB Tourism Industry Conference earlier this week, a cast of tech giants
from Expedia, Alibaba and Google, moderated by WiT’s Yeoh Siew Hoon, discussed
a burning topic in travel and beyond: how to thrive in the face of disruption.
Arguably each of the companies present on
stage has bee [...]
Online payment solutions crucial to travel, as Middle East travellers book later and more often
At
WiT Middle East this week, Checkout.com’s Remo Giovanni Abbondandolo (VP Business
Development, MENA) presented a comprehensive report on the state of online
payments in the Middle East travel industry.
During his exclusive presentation,
Abbondandolo gave an in-depth view on the purchasing b [...]
The Middle East is “golden goose” of travel: Opportunities revealed at WiT ME
Movers and shakers of the Middle East online travel industry gathered at WiT Middle East 2019 in Dubai on April 9 to share their plans to unlock the potential of a fast-changing market being driven by youths – 60% of consumers are Millennials and Gen Z, strong spending power and technology develo [...]
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 [...]
Tours and activities suppliers must change mindset and open thinking to tech solutions like payments
It’s difficult to think like a technology company after building a successful offline business. Yet there is pressure on local businesses, particularly in the third largest travel sector – tours and activities – to do so, as competition gets tougher and the biggest way to get discovered is th [...]
APAC mobile sites lagging in speeds, while consumers increasingly depend on mobile
Consumers of today’s mobile generation are highly dependent on their devices and are an impatient lot. And APAC sites have some work to do to keep up with the expectations of these consumers.
These are some of the key findings of Think with Google’s Masters of Mobile APAC report. Commissio [...]
Lunar New Year sends Chinese tourists worldwide on spending spree; mobile payments experiencing “vigorous growth”
Chinese tourists spent generously throughout the world as they took the opportunity during the recent Lunar New Year holidays to travel.
Alipay tracked overseas spending and mobile payment behaviours of Chinese consumers during the 2019 holiday period from 4 – 10 February over 5 [...]
Startup Spotlight: Smartvel makes selling destination content easier
As part of the WiT Startup Spotlight series, we go to Madrid this week to speak to Smartvel, which was launched in 2013 with the idea of providing destination content to travel brands to help them enhance their sales. In total, it's raised £3 million and is looking to expand globally.
Describe [...]
PhocusWire Digest: Digital marketing, automation and social media ethics
This week, we draw your attention to the best from our sister publication PhocusWire.
The current state of marketing automation in hospitality
Reading this useful condensed version of a paper exploring the current state of marketing automation in the hospitality industry is a good starting po [...]
Lufthansa opens digital innovation hub in Singapore: wants to be a “serious part of emerging ecosystem”
The Lufthansa Group’s Lufthansa Innovation Hub, established in 2014, has opened its first foreign office in Singapore and is planning a second in Shanghai this year “in response to the rapidly increasing importance of the Asian technology sector for the future of travel and mobility”.
[...]
