Covid-19 Wrap: Domestic and regional travel bubbles are at forefront of consumers’ minds, Accor partners AXA to offer guests medical support, and more …
The Covid-19
Wrap is part of WiT’s “Unity In Crisis” series, a round-up of news on the
coronavirus and its impact on travel.
Domestic and regional travel bubbles at forefront of consumers’ minds as travel restrictions ease
Queenstown in New Zealand has seen an increase in search with [...]
A love story about Otter, Zoom and Cuckoo’s Nest
I’ve never slept as well as I have the past two months. In fact, I’ve never slept in the same bed as long as I have. I’ve traded in my travel apps for productivity and health apps. Goodbye, Tripit. Hello, Notability. Goodbye, Timeshifter. Hello Otter.
Otter has
improved my life considerab [...]
Online travel payments solution Split pivots to e-commerce and retail, to help keep businesses afloat
The
current climate is challenging for virtually all businesses, but it is arguably
those most nimble in the face of change that will fare best. In this interview,
Dylan Tan, co-founder, Split spoke of how he repurposed his startup to adapt to
what both consumers and businesses need at a time of hi [...]
No pivot for Portier as it sticks to its guns and focuses on helping hotels earn more from fewer customers
While many companies, whether legacy or startup, have been considering pivoting as a strategy to get through this crisis, Portier Technologies’ co-founder Deniz Tekerek feels differently.
“I have
thought a lot about this. If a travel company, because of this crisis, becomes
an e-commerce co [...]
South-east Asia seeing huge direct-to-consumer shift in e-commerce, says Shopify’s Verma
The biggest trend happening in e-commerce in South-east Asia is the direct-to-consumer shift, accelerated by the Covid-19 crisis that has seen mass migration of consumers online in the region, said Arun Verma, who’s leading Shopify’s growth in South-east Asia and China.
How this translates t [...]
Chatbots, contactless travel, blockchain & crypto: Korean companies dig deep into tech to ride out Covid-19
From automation of the back end to chatbots and tech solutions to facilitate contactless travel as well as the introduction of blockchain and cryptocurrency, online travel companies in South Korea are being spurred by the Covid-19 crisis to innovate.
Speaking during WiT Virtual: Spotlight on the [...]
Letter from Tuscany (State of Mind): Of hermits and princess warriors – what are you?
Once upon a
time, back when humans were allowed to travel, I went on a road trip from
Munich to Florence and found myself spending the night at a friend’s place in a
little town in Tuscany.
After a lovely dinner of pasta cooked with the freshest, most succulent tomatoes imaginable, and severa [...]
Trip.com chairman James Liang: How mobile apps could help to contain epidemics
James Liang, chairman of Trip.com Group, both an economist and entrepreneur, shares his thoughts on current events, their effects on the travel industry, and how technology can help alleviate some of these issues, specifically an app that acts like an “electronic passport” with a Health Code. ( [...]
The WiT Podcast: Unity In Crisis – Episode 3: Eric Gnock Fah, COO & Co-founder, Klook
It is said crisis unites and there’s no better time than now for unity as the travel industry undergoes its biggest test with the outbreak of Covid-19.
With most of the world on lockdown and as China and Singapore enter another round of their fight to contain the novel coronavirus pandemic by [...]
WiT Indie 2020: Instil confidence in travel with correct information at right time, says Trip.com’s Ooi Chee Teong
The
third edition of WiT Indie held in Penang
this Friday, gathered a passionate crowd of independent entrepreneurs,
hoteliers and experience providers, eager to learn, collaborate and share ideas
on how travel can recover quickly from Covid-19 and fly even higher.
Yeoh Siew Hoon, founder, WiT, [...]
