“Be really good at one thing”: Focus pays off for Trip101
Longer stays, workations helping to fuel travel guide's growth
GROWTH in vacation rental and Airbnb bookings in the US and around the world gave travel media startup Trip101 a strong performance in 2021.
The Singapore-based startup saw growth across all metrics in 2021 – 87% in Gross Merchan [...]
From founder to CEO, Agoda’s CEO-in-waiting on startup journey, tactics and tech
THE startup he founded was acquired by Booking Holdings and now he’s the CEO-in-waiting of Agoda, waiting to step into the role on July 1. How did he get from founder to employee to CEO? Omri Morgenshtern, currently COO, Agoda talks about his personal evolution, the lessons he’s learnt along the [...]
The Wrap: It’s all about partnership – STB with Traveloka and Trans Digital, Trip Affiliates Network with TX Travel Indonesia
THE Wrap is a round-up of news in the travel and technology sector – new partnerships, product launches, aviation industry updates, innovative solutions, and more …
STB, Traveloka, Trans Digital Media join forces to revitalise Indonesians’ wanderlust to visit city state
SINGAPORE is gear [...]
Letter from Thailand: Take it slow, make it sustainable, be well – a destination in transition
I HAD waited more than two years for this moment and when it arrived, it was almost bitter sweet. This week, I got on a flight to Bangkok, a place I fell in love with at first sight decades ago and stayed in love with through the passage of time.
I had visualised it so hard – the moment when I [...]
Q&A: Steve Hafner on the development of Kayak for Business
KAYAK quietly launched its Kayak for Business (K4B) corporate travel solution just before the pandemic in late 2019 with a full launch in July 2021.
The product has been developing over the past year but is still treated as a startup within Kayak, according to CEO Steve Hafner.
He talks to Ph [...]
Chain4Travel, founded by three veterans, raises Sfr4.3m to build blockchain platform
CHAIN4TRAVEL, founded by three travel veterans, has raised seed funding of Sfr4.3 million for the development of its blockchain-based travel platform, known as Camino, as well as chase growth for the company.
The Switzerland-based business combines the experience and expertise of Ralf Usbeck, who [...]
MakeMyTrip’s losses narrow, eyes stronger 2023
MAKEMYTRIP narrowed its operating loss in the fourth quarter of its financial year.
The Indian online travel agency reported a full-year loss of $30 million for the year ending March 31, 2022, compared to $68 million for 2021.
Gross bookings hit $1 billion in the fourth quarter compared to $75 [...]
The WiT Podcast – Episode 39: Vikram Malhi, Co-founder, Zuzu Hospitality
IN this episode, we speak to Vikram Malhi, who’s the co-founder of ZUZU Hospitality, on the recovery trends he’s seeing in the small, independent hotel segment in South-east Asia and how this could be a breakout moment for the longtail of hospitality.
Here are the key takeaways.
On recover [...]
Airbnb pulls out of domestic China business, will focus on outbound
AIRBNB will pull out of the domestic listings and Experiences market in China and instead focus on the outbound travel business, a source close to the matter has confirmed to WiT.
Said the source, “China has been on lockdown since early 2020, and with no end in sightAirbnb formally launched its [...]
Fintech investment high priority for travel businesses to capture rebound
NINE out of 10 leaders in the travel businesses view fintech and payments as a high priority, while 80% of businesses stated they plan to match or go beyond 2019 investment level this year.
According to Amadeus' Travel Fintech Investment Trends 2022 report, which surveyed over 70 senior leaders f [...]
