Letter from Tokyo: The human-machine and tradition-innovation dance unfolding in Japan
Inbound rush, outbound slump, new tech and travellers shaping future of travel – how will it play out in Japan? WiT Japan & North Asia 2024 had it all covered.
There is no better place in the world to observe the twin revolutions of human and technology unfolding at this time than in Japan, a [...]
Expedia launches AI travel assistant and creator shops in 40+ spring product slate
At EXPLORE, Expedia’s annual partner conference held in Las Vegas, the company announced the launch of 40+ new products and features across its tech ecosystem - chief of all being the introduction of Romie, an AI-powered travel assistant.
Romie is designed to assist travellers at every step of [...]
Go City’s Gauthier on cultivating strong partnerships and Asia’s great potential for growth
Sightseeing passes provider, Go City, announced a few weeks ago that it had formed a partnership with Merlin Entertainments, a prominent player in branded entertainment destinations. This collaboration significantly adds to Go City’s popular London Pass, now celebrating its 25th year of operation, [...]
Sentosa signs multi-lateral MoU with key players to develop Sentosa Precinct Partnership
Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC), Resorts World Sentosa (RWS), DBS Bank (DBS), and Singapore Tourism Board (STB) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to enhance Sentosa’s guest experience through the development of a Sentosa Precinct Partnership. This multi-lateral partnership aims [...]
Bangkok bike-hailing. Expensify’s chat super app. Token answer for busy airports. More.
Travel search on the cusp of a new era
Speaking at Arabian Travel Market (ATM) this week in a session on “How To Build Influence with Gen Z in Just 30 Seconds”, Marc-Antoine Simon, industry manager, Travel and Tourism – MENA, TikTok, shared insights on the latest trends in community-led marke [...]
APAC performs best in Air Distribution as Amadeus records double-digit growth in Q1 2024
Technology provider Amadeus has recorded double-digit growth across all reported segments demonstrating strong financial performance for the first quarter of 2024.
Financial Highlights for Q1 2024:
Air Distribution revenue grew by 12.6% to €764.4 million.
Air IT Solutions re [...]
Saudi tourism chief Fahd Hamidaddin on lessons from his mother, Hafawah and keeping it authentic
Travel on verge of transformation, driven by AI – STA experiments with unconventional partners
Given how openly most Saudis speak about their family, especially their mothers, I thought it fitting that I should start my interview with Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO of Saudi Tourism Authority, with a questi [...]
100% jump in China’s outbound travel bookings during Labour Day holidays
According to a new report from Fliggy, one of China's key travel platforms, bookings for travel services from Chinese tourists during the five-day Labour Day holiday from May 1 to 5 saw nearly 100% growth, building on last year's rapid rebound.
Key Findings from Fliggy's Labor Day Holiday [...]
Expedia expands to United Arab Emirates, its first new market in eight years
Leading online travel agency (OTA) Expedia has announced its expansion into the United Arab Emirates (UAE) market, marking its first entry into a new market in eight years. The announcement was made at the Arabian Travel Market, where Expedia Group participated in the thriving $25 billion travel and [...]
The Symphony of Humans and Machines: A travel CTO’s balancing act
At the Phocuswright WiT Middle East summit in Dubai, held May 3, 2024, a panel of four senior CTOs discussed the critical issue of AI’s interface to humans. Timothy O’Neil-Dunne provides this summary.
In the ever-evolving world of travel technology, CTOs stand at the precipice of a [...]
