From the revolution in human-machine interface, to transformation of the Middle East, it’s all happening here
Key takeaways from Phocuswright WiT Middle East
There’s nothing like being on the ground, and getting around, to feel the energy and vitality of a region on the move and my trip, covering Saudi and Dubai, this time left me with no doubt that this is a market that will shape the future of global [...]
Real-time hotel feedback. GoCity goes London. Tencent explores the Metaverse. More.
Designing hotel rooms by the people who sleep in them
The launch of MM:NT Berlin Lab sees Adina Hotels partnering with Häfele, Germany’s supplier of architectural hardware systems, furniture fittings, electronic access control and LED lighting to design hotels of the future.
MM:NT Berlin Lab [...]
Global Startup Pitch returns with new format
The Global Startup Pitch, by WiT, Phocuswright and PhocusWire, is back for the third year running in its quest to unearth the brightest stars on the gleaming edge of travel tech.
Welcoming both travel and non-travel startups who believe their businesses have application in the industry, the compe [...]
Asia-Pacific continues to lead the way with 38.5% surge in airlines demand
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has released its latest data for March 2024, revealing a surge in global passenger demand.
Here are the key highlights:
Total demand, measured in revenue passenger kilometers (RPKs), increased by 13.8% compared to March 2023. Total capacity, [...]
Airbnb puts new spin on experiences with ‘Icons’ launch
For the last several years, every May and November, Airbnb has announced a package of updates and new products related to its core accommodation product, with a focus on offerings to fine-tune the platform for its short-term rental hosts and guests. The 2024 May update, dubbed the “Summer Releas [...]
Letter from Saudi: Of cheeky encounters, cultural kaleidoscopes and social transformation
A funny thing happened to me while I was waiting at King Khalid International Airport, in Riyadh, while I was waiting for the car to my hotel, Radisson Blu, in the Diplomatic Quarter. Firstly, it’s really busy, lots of people pushing carts willy-nilly.
Listen to this episode here
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JTB Business Travel and Spotnana partner to tackle business travel management
JTB Business Travel, a division of JTB USA, Inc., and a provider of tailored travel management to small and midsize enterprises, has announced a global strategic partnership with Spotnana, known for its Travel-as-a-Service platform.
The collaboration aims to ‘enhance, simplify, and modernise’ [...]
Arival releases Gen AI guide for tours, activities, attractions and other visitor experiences
Arival, a leading resource for the in-destination experiences sector, has released "The Arival Guide to AI in Experiences.", a guide that aims to equip operators of tours, activities, attractions, and other visitor experiences with the knowledge and strategies to leverage Generative Artificial Intel [...]
Atom Capital: What kind of AI entrepreneurs impress us the most
Editor's note: The following article was originally published on Medium. Although not directly travel-related, the interview spotlights Melissa Yang, formerly the co-founder, CTO and Vice Chairman of Tujia.com - which was famously known as China's Airbnb alternative albeit with a wider focus.
Yan [...]
Letter enroute to Riyadh: A journey into The Land of Incredulous Possibilities
I am off to Riyadh today via Singapore. It was meant to have been via Paris but a flu bug changed my plans. It has a nasty way of doing that, as we’ve all learnt in the last few years. Nothing’s going to stop us now – yeah! A bug will.
So, I am sitting at the Emirates Lounge, which is freez [...]
