News
Why the medium-term is critical to AI disruption
05/07/2023 by Omri Morgenshtern
What is more natural than a conversation? This may be the biggest promise of generative or autonomous AI. Omri Morgenshtern, CEO of Agoda, gets to grips with the possibilities of Generative AI in travel in the short to medium term. It seems there are two distinct camps when it comes to the futur [...]
Wanderlust vs economic uncertainty: Over half of APAC travellers stay confident in their travel plans
05/07/2023 by Arvindh Yuvaraj
Singaporean travelers demonstrate a strong commitment to spending their money on experiences rather than fleeting pleasures. Booking.com recently unveiled its much-anticipated APAC Travel Confidence Index (TCI) for 2023, offering an analysis of travel mindsets in the region. Despite financial conc [...]
Asia Pacific’s young luxury travellers ditch long-haul for homegrown adventures
04/07/2023 by Arvindh Yuvaraj
The travel industry is undergoing a transformation as a new tribe of young luxury travelers emerges in the Asia Pacific region. Coined as 'Native Explorers' by a recent survey conducted by Marriott International, these affluent millennial and Gen Z travellers are challenging traditional travel norm [...]
When in Japan, get out of Tokyo, and stay longer
03/07/2023 by Timothy O'Neil-Dunne
First inspired by a news story on “Joyful Trains” of Japan, Timothy O’Neil-Dunne takes the opportunity of WiT Japan & North Asia happening July 5-6 to travel two weeks around the country. Here’s an account of his experience around the themes of anime, cinema, tourism and food, as well as [...]
Latin America’s superapp Rappi sticks to its bet on travel
04/07/2023 by Yeoh Siew Hoon
Travel and loyalty are good for stickiness: Guido Becher It’s interesting to note that while some superapps in Asia such as Grab and Gojek have pulled back from travel, Latin America’s Rappi remains committed to the travel vertical despite the challenging pandemic years. In fact, Rappi cou [...]
Letter from the Priorat, Catalonia: Listening to the wines, and the silence
04/07/2023 by Yeoh Siew Hoon
To be honest (and I’ve always been told to be wary of people who start their sentences with those three words but in this case, it’s sincere), I had never heard of Priorat until, well, this year when I started planning for my Catalonia holiday. I had asked ChatGPT to recommend the top three d [...]
Biggest pain point in transition to NDC world is post-booking and servicing: Mystifly
04/07/2023 by Yeoh Siew Hoon
“This moment will reshape the industry,” says CEO Rajeev As NDC adoption by airlines accelerates, led by American Airlines, intermediaries are struggling to remain relevant as new pain points emerge. Yeoh Siew Hoon catches up with Rajeev Kumar, CEO & co-founder of Mystifly, to find out what [...]
Blogxiety is real. NFTs keep Bali’s culture. Traxo tracks NDC, more.
30/06/2023 by Ian Jarrett
NFTs help to preserve Bali’s culture and artisans Craftsmen in Bali are among  11 artisans from Indonesia who are helping to protect the country's heritage and culture by placing their work on Web3, a web feature that includes blockchain technology. A BBC report reveals the artisans have joi [...]
NDC Revolution: Time To Face The Oncoming Train
29/06/2023 by Yeoh Siew Hoon
Sabre’s Mendis on NDC’s momentum, painful transition to new world, AI innovation For the last eight years or so ever since it was first introduced into the airline vocabulary, the acronym “NDC” has been percolating away in the background, and now, post-pandemic, it looks like it’s coming [...]
Spotnana and United Airlines look to create seamless traveller journeys with NDC integration
29/06/2023 by Arvindh Yuvaraj
Direct NDC integration supports bookings, post-ticketing changes, real-time analytics, and servicing through a modern retailing experience Spotnana, a travel infrastructure company, has unveiled its strategic collaboration with United Airlines to introduce direct NDC integration, providing seamless [...]