Tony Fernandes: The art of never saying no, and never wasting a crisis
Nine years is a long time in aviation. The last time I interviewed Tony Fernandes on a stage in Amsterdam, he had just been named Airline CEO of the Year.
He recounted that moment in 2017 to the audience attending the Trip.com Airline Global Conference in Amsterdam last week. Akbar Al Baker of Qa [...]
Digital identity moves upstream as Trip.com and IATA test travel’s next friction point
For years, the industry has talked about seamless travel. The traveller’s experience still often begins with the same familiar routine: entering passport details, checking them again, repeating information across different touchpoints, and hoping every system along the way agrees.
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How VoiceMap is fighting against the AI tour flood
Sir Stephen Fry and History Hit’s Dan Snow among the “curiously human” tours launched
In a bid to defend itself against the AI commoditisation of audio tours, VoiceMap, founded by South African blogger-turned-entrepreneur Iain Manley 12 years ago, is taking the “curiously human” route and [...]
The corporate traveller wants comfort. The company wants control. Trip.Biz wants both
Corporate travel is no longer just about getting from A to B at the lowest available fare. It is about getting the right traveller to the right place, within policy, at the right level of comfort, with the right approval, data and sustainability target — preferably without making everyone wait 30 [...]
28 years in the making: How Ten Lifestyle Group finally found its moment
There is a particular kind of founder that the startup world doesn’t celebrate enough – not the one who disrupts an industry overnight and exits in five years, but the one who holds the line for nearly three decades on a vision that the world wasn’t quite ready for yet. Alex Cheatle, CEO and c [...]
Hospitality tech hit a billion-dollar milestone. Here’s where the smart money is going.
"AI can’t compensate for scattered data, disconnected systems or poor processes. If a hotel’s underlying systems are fragmented, AI will only make operational problems more visible."
Between April 2025 and March 2026, startups across the hospitality technology sector pulled in more than $1 bill [...]
Hidden cost-cutters. Qwen AI goes shopping. Amadeus’ strong Q1. World’s largest travel intelligence ecosystem.
How co-sourcing is beating traditional outsourcing
Colombia-based 247 Travel Partner Desk (247tpd) reports that its travel-specialized co-sourcing model cuts operational costs by 40–50% — and up to 70% in high-cost markets like the US and Northern Europe — by embedding trained external teams [...]
AI and digital identity drive aviation’s next chapter
Trip.com Group opened its flagship Trip.com Airline Global Conference (AGC) 2026 in Amsterdam, convening global leaders from across the aviation and travel ecosystem to explore how technology, trust, and collaboration are redefining the future of travel.
Held at the Passenger Terminal Amsterdam [...]
Where the Japan inbound opportunity found HeyMax
HeyMax’s first exposure to the Japanese market was at WiT Japan 2025 where he met Lu Dong, founder of TakeMe, a booking portal for Japan’s top restaurants. The two startups sealed a partnership agreement which allowed HeyMax customers to earn miles when dining at TakeMe’s restaurants.
The r [...]
What ASEAN travellers are really asking before they choose Malaysia
Malaysia is familiar across ASEAN. That is an advantage, but it can also flatten the story: KL skyline, Penang food, Langkawi beach, Genting weekend.
The SocialSeal signal suggests something more useful for travel marketers. ASEAN travellers are not asking whether Malaysia exists on their radar. [...]
