Sleep with me: The surprising rise of renting shared space
Back in 2012 when Airbnb was starting to generate some significant momentum and buzz, our team decided to add a new lodging category to our annual U.S. Consumer Travel Report. That category was shared space, or the renting of a couch or room or within a private home or apartment.Personally, I was sk [...]
Bangkok bomb: In times of crises, no knee-jerk decisions please
“Our customers may make knee-jerk reactions because they have a right to. We shouldn't because we have a responsibility not to.” I wanted to wait a couple of days before I wrote about the horrific bomb attack at the Erawan Shrine in Bangkok – to digest, to talk to people, to think about it – [...]
If you want to win in Asia, don’t do it by remote control
Picture this. We are sitting in Skyscanner’s offices. It’s our first SkyChat Evening – intimate events where we feature longform conversations with smart people who are in town.On the couch with me is Fritz Demopoulos, co-founder of Qunar and now CEO, Queen’s Road Capital.Just that week, I [...]
The Wrap: Cloud technology helps generate more revenue for hotels, says SiteMinder
In the news: Strong revenue for hotels with SiteMinder's solutions, Amadeus’ new deals with EVA Air and Corporate Travel Services, TrustYou Meta-Reviews integrated with SkyscannerCloud technology helps generate more revenue for hotels, says SiteMinderHotels that employ cloud technology and the lat [...]
WIT Warrior Spotlight: As it led in social media, Brand Karma’s Sim now wants to lead in virtual reality
At the WIT Conference last year in Singapore, we recognised 10 individuals whom we felt have had the most influence on the development of online travel in Asia Pacific. This is the seventh article in a series of interviews profiling the WIT Warriors.Morris Sim came out of Microsoft to start up a soc [...]
Best of TW Asia Global Wrap: Bomb blast sends shock waves through Thai economy
Featured stories from TravelWeekly: Effects of Bangkok bomb blast on Thai tourism, Park Hotel Group’s foray into Adelaide, Bali’s dolphins in the limelightBomb blast sends shock waves through Thai economyJust when the Tourism Authority of Thailand was celebrating a great set of international vis [...]
$16m richer from Series B, Tripping.com looks to scale in Asia
Tripping.com, the meta-search for vacation rentals which recently closed US$16 million Series B funding, is looking to scale in Asia.Jen O’ Neal, founder & CEO of the company, which has to date closed a total of US$20 million in three funding rounds, said, “Asia is one of Tripping.com's fast [...]
No one has fully conquered Asia yet in tours & activities: BeMyGuest’s Menchaca
Since its inception in 2012, BeMyGuest has grown at a rapid pace to become one of the leading Asian tours & activities platform. Its expansion is the stuff of start-up dreams: in the last three months alone, the company has achieved a record growth of 100 percent and now offers over 10,000 activ [...]
Skyscanner’s Williams: “To win, we have to win in Asia”
Gareth Williams, CEO and co-founder of Skyscanner, on what it will take to win big in Asia, his ambitions for the company he co-founded in 2001 and why he won’t give his AI project a girl name.CEO and one of the three co-founders of Skyscanner, Gareth Williams, is spending more time in Singapore t [...]
Letter from Saigon: Big, young, social and mobile, powered by women
One evening in Saigon, after a lovely dinner at a rooftop garden, we stopped on a sidewalk to have a brief chat about where to go next. Ice cream? Beer? Wine? The choices are endless. Suddenly, a bunch of taxis just stopped by us, the drivers looking at us in anticipation for a ride.Simon Christy, f [...]
