Listen to the sounds of the US: Exploring the country in immersive 3D audio
With so much attention on virtual reality to simulate a realistic experience one may tend to forget the power of sound to do the same. And that’s what Brand USA and Expedia Media Solutions are leveraging to draw travellers to the United States – through immersive 3D audio.
They recently launc [...]
WIT collaborates with Phocuswright to find APAC Innovators of the Year
WIT Startup Pitch Japan & North Asia 2018 now open for entries
WIT has teamed up with Phocuswright in a search for two APAC Innovators that will be given opportunities to fast track their business ideas to become successful ventures on the global stage.
The WIT Startup Pitch for bo [...]
Contiki launches chatbot Tiki, but asserts that travel agents are still all about the ‘human touch’
Millennial-geared tour operator Contiki has ramped up efforts to invest in smarter technology with the launch of its own chatbot, “Tiki” on Facebook Messenger.
Launched end of January, the chatbot is designed to help users (and agents) better understand which of the eight Contiki “travel st [...]
Longhaul low cost the next wave – airlines have to become ecommerce companies that fly
In the last 10 years, longhaul low cost airlines have mushroomed with international seats growing by 900%. Newcomer World Airways, the first longhaul LCC in the US, will be 100% digital and Millennial-focused while Cebu Pacific is trying to think of itself less as an engineering company but more of [...]
We in APAC are most vacation-deprived but guess who takes the lead?
Walking through Resorts World at Sentosa the other day, and spending time in Penang during the Chinese New Year festive period, It is hard to believe there are vacation-deprived folks in Asia. Both places were crowded with families and groups from all over Asia, with Chinese travellers clearly leadi [...]
Chinese travelling more, spending more, favour mobile payments: Nielsen/Alipay report
Chinese travellers are travelling more, spending more, and are more prone to using mobile payment when travelling.
These are the key findings of the latest of many reports on outbound Chinese travelling trends. According to the Outbound Chinese Tourism and Consumption Trends: 2017 Survey, by Niel [...]
AccorHotels sells majority stake in property business arm, to use proceeds for expansion
AccorHotels announced February 27 the plans to sell a 55%t stake in its AccorInvest real estate unit for 4.4 billion euros (US$5.4 billion) cash.
The new investors are the sovereign wealth funds of Saudia Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) and Singapore’s GIC.
Institutional investors in [...]
The Wrap: Everyone can now say ‘hi’ from the sky
In the news: Airlines take the stage this week, not only in conferences around the region, but in touting new services for its guests. In the limelight – AirAsia, Hong Kong Airlines and, indirectly, Travelport and ACI with a new solution for airline passengers.
AVIATION: Everyone can now say [...]
In The Big Chair – Brian Chesky of Airbnb
This article was originally published in Phocuswire. Written by Jill Menze.
In just 10 years, Airbnb has grown from a modest home-share site into one of the biggest disruptors in travel. It's enjoyed the kind of success most startups can only dream about - and with a new slate of product offerin [...]
HK Express links up with flight comparison site Dohop to expand international interline services
Hong Kong-based airline, HK Express, has joined forces with flight comparison site, Dohop, to provide international interline services, making it the first Asian carrier to partner with the Icelandic company.
The partnership, sealed at the ongoing Aviation Festival 2018 in Singapore, will make i [...]
