A message of unity from members of the WiT community
"We have no life in travel right now, but we will be back." This was the mantra shared by much-loved members of the WiT community, who took a moment to share how they are spending their time at home as the world waits for Covid-19 to pass.
As part of WiT's "Unity in Crisis" series, the video, ed [...]
Trip101 reports increase in average nights per booking for vacation rentals, amid global travel restrictions
Singapore-based travel media startup, Trip101 reported an increase in the average number of nights per booking for vacation rentals in major markets like USA, Japan, Canada – from approximately three nights to eight nights – amid global travel restrictions to curb the spread of Covid-19.
T [...]
7 Stages to the New Normal, revisited – “the lack of progress haunts my thinking”
When I wrote the first version of the story that was published in WiT three weeks ago, I used less data than is now available. Now I think we have a better view of the situation. Thus I am revising my timeline and it’s not pretty.
Timothy O’Neil-Dunne revises the timeline of 'The 7 Stages to [...]
Chatbots, contactless travel, blockchain & crypto: Korean companies dig deep into tech to ride out Covid-19
From automation of the back end to chatbots and tech solutions to facilitate contactless travel as well as the introduction of blockchain and cryptocurrency, online travel companies in South Korea are being spurred by the Covid-19 crisis to innovate.
Speaking during WiT Virtual: Spotlight on the [...]
Now everyone’s in the same boat as Expedia secures $3.2b financing and names a new captain
Even before Covid-19 struck, it had been rocky seas for Expedia Group. The 3,000 layoffs and cost cuts it did, which was played out in full glare on social media, pre-empted the pandemic to come. Little did we know at the time that the same fate was to befall thousands upon thousands of more people [...]
Exploring Experiences wants to dance to a different beat in tours & activities
It didn’t take long even for a software engineer (who is also a dancer) who had never been involved in travel to realise that the co-dependent relationships between large OTAs and small independent businesses, such as those in the tours and activities space, were unhealthy and imbalanced.
His [...]
To everyone feeling “cosmically lonely”, here’s to what we miss and doing it again
There’s a point in the book “Mythos: The Greek Myths Retold” by Stephen Fry when he writes about Zeus complaining about being “cosmically lonely” – sitting on his throne like the God that he is and all he does is grant wishes to people and listen to their problems.
He then brainstor [...]
Survive, innovate, collaborate, then look to the future. What will travel look like in the new normal?
The first priority is survival. “This is the opportunity to fix the problems in our business,” said Stephan Ekbergh, CEO, Travelstart, during WiT Virtual’s Middle East Forum held last week. “Then if you manage to survive, you have to innovate. We innovate best under pressure.”
Stephan [...]
Slow recovery for Asia’s aviation industry, needs confidence-boosting measures
A survey commissioned by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) of recent travellers found that 60% anticipate a return to travel within one to two months of containment of the coronavirus pandemic, but 40% indicate that they could wait six months or more. However, 69% indicated that th [...]
Post-Covid-19 will see a war for talent, says PageGroup’s Anthony Thompson
With
Covid-19 continuing to disrupt all aspects of life – professionally and
personally, Anthony Thompson, Regional Managing Director, Asia; Executive Board
Director of recruitment firm, PageGroup described the crisis as “one big battle
being played out at different times and scale in different [...]
