News
Travelstart ‘supercharges’ its accommodation offering with purchase of SafariNow
06/12/2017 by WiT
South Africa-based online travel booking website, Travelstart, has bought a majority stake in Cape Town-based SafariNow. Described as "South Africa's largest accommodation booking website", SafariNow represents accommodation over both the informal (self-catering and vacation rentals) and formal [...]
Baidu Capital, armed with $3b, still looking for the right travel bet
05/12/2017 by Yeoh Siew Hoon
Travel, like every industry, is dominated by giants but Jenny Wu says there are “good seeds” of innovation happening and it’s just a matter of time before Baidu Capital picks the next big travel bet. For now, it’s banking on an autonomous future as well as logistics and e-commerce.  [...]
Infrastrucure is the limit for cruises in Asia as liners bring new tonnage to region
05/12/2017 by WiT
On the opening panel at the inaugural CruiseWorld Asia last week, a panel of four industry leaders were unanimously bullish about the growth of cruises in Asia. William Harber, President, China & Asia Pacific, Hurtigruten, said that percentages of growth are rapidly increasing, predicting at [...]
How the rise of mobile in APAC is changing buying behaviour
05/12/2017 by WiT
Mobile technology has changed retail marketing, as well as consumer buying behaviour. In Asia Pacific (APAC), where smartphones are (almost) ubiquitous, their use are evolving faster than ever before especially for travel. The smart device is changing the travel booking experience from start to f [...]
Amadeus Next wants expansion in Asia, explores outside-of-travel verticals
01/12/2017 by WiT
Amadeus Next wants to grow and expand into new markets in Asia Pacific including China, where “tech companies are leading the charge for entrepreneurship”; and Indonesia and Vietnam, two of the most promising markets for the startup ecosystem. “Our key focus for next year will be expanding [...]
Why search needs to get better and how we can do it for travellers
01/12/2017 by Timothy O'Neil-Dunne
We have a plethora of options for search but in the English and other Latin languages, the term “Google it” has become as synonymous as “Kleenex”. Perhaps more so. While the average American uses about 50 Lbs of tissue paper a year, we say the words of the leading search brand and enter a [...]
Biggest hurdle to growth of cruises in Asia is lack of consumer knowledge and confidence in experiences offered, says Destination Asia’s Bob Guy
30/11/2017 by WiT
At the inaugural CruiseWorld Asia held in Singapore on November 30, Bob Guy (Managing Director of Singapore & Malaysia, Destination Asia) tapped into the main opportunities and challenges that face the growth of cruises in Asia, during an interview with Yeoh Siew Hoon (Editorial Director, Norths [...]
The Wrap: Indian travellers want more self-service tech in the airport
30/11/2017 by WiT
In the news: Indian travellers and self-service tech in airports, Travelport and Tourism Western Australia team up to launch targeted trade campaign and Sabre’s new partnership with Aviation Services Mongolia TRAVEL: Indian travellers want more self-service tech in the airport Indian tr [...]
There must be a way to get out of here – Rome2rio shares tips with stranded travellers in Bali
29/11/2017 by WiT
Getting stranded in Bali may not be the worst thing but Melbourne-based Rome2rio has started an information page to help travellers get out of the island by means other than flights while the airport in Bali remains closed due to the active eruptions of Mt Agung. Chairman Rod Cuthbert said, “We n [...]
Vacation rentals on the rise in APAC as investors enter younger tourism markets
24/11/2017 by WiT
The APAC villa rental market is on the rise, according to a recent report conducted by Villa-Finder.com. The report states that Europe and North America are at the forefront, however APAC is nipping at its heels as it accounts for $393m of the global $120b vacation rental market, growing at an an [...]