Uber’s mantra for success in China – technology supremacy + local connect
For any burgeoning global brand, despite its hefty valuation, if it’s new to China then nothing can be taken for granted. So when San Francisco-based Uber, backed by the likes of Google Ventures and TPG Capital, forayed into China late last year, the move was minutely scrutinized.
The ent [...]
Forget about the endings, live in the present
So the big question before us is, what’s this year going to be like for the Asian travel market given the Greek Tragedy, Arab Spring which is becoming a four-season affair, ongoing economic woes in the US and possibilities of bubbles in China and India (this comes up every year of course as it d [...]
Boris bikes in with some mobile app pointers
I’ve recently returned from an extended stay in London combing some downtime and some work too.
I’m very lucky when I’m in London as I always have the opportunity to stay with my brother who lives in Covent Garden just by Seven Dials. I was helping him start a business and we were wor [...]
Think about mobile differently, don’t make the same mistake as in 1995 – Bellhop wins WIT Indonesia Start-Up
It was interesting to watch the pitches at the WIT Start-Up competition in Indonesia and realise that out of the six who presented, how heavily into mobile they were.
And social – a lot had to do with trip planning using the power of the crowd. I am not sure how the social piece will p [...]
Travel mobile commerce boosts digital advertising spend, more opportunities for advertisers
The increasing use of mobile devices as a replacement for the PC to research, book and buy travel, hotels and other services, has created numerous opportunities for travel advertisers to leverage on this trend, according to the Travel Report by Millennial Media, an independent mobile advertising [...]
It’s getting busy tonight, honey; In2Nite ups the ante
There are some who think the same-day booking market is too niche to scale and be interesting. That Asia could be too diverse and fragmented a market for a model that relies on spontaneous travel, weekend getaways and short-term business trips.
And that it’d be hard to get good enough ra [...]
HotelsCombined expands Asian presence through tie-up with Zodio
Hotel price comparison website, HotelsCombined.com, continues its growth in Asia by partnering with Zodio, a Thai-based iPhone search app that provides tips and reviews on a wide variety of businesses ranging from nightclubs to spas to eateries.
Through this alliance Zodio is now able to [...]
Wego launches world’s first Arabic iOS travel metasearch app
On the eve of the inaugural WIT Middle East, travel metasearch site Wego launched the world’s first dedicated flights and hotels travel metasearch mobile app in Arabic for iOS.
The app comes complete with right to left language support for comfortable navigation of Wego’s extensive globa [...]
Mobile travel bookings in APAC set to surge
A recent PhoCusWright Global andAsia Pacific Edition report projects that aggregate mobile travel bookings in China, Japan and India will jump from US$4.6 billion in 2012 to $18.7 billion in 2015.
The report, issued at a time when travel companies across Asia Pacific (APAC) are scrambling [...]
Letter from ITB Berlin: Trends to watch and heed in Asia
Making a quick exit from Berlin – can’t help but think how ironic I just attended the world’s largest travel trade fair where there was a lot of talk about technology and how that’s changing travel but there’s not much evidence of that in real life.
Pictured above (L-R): Kei Shibata, Ye [...]
