Audio tour apps bring Australia’s stories to life for Chinese visitors
A chance remark by some Chinese visitors talking loudly during a tour, drowning out the guide’s commentary, led Jeff Sharp ofItours Australia to develop self-guided audio tours in native languages for smartphones and tablets.Relating the story, Sharp (pictured left), then owner and operator of [...]
2 Doors, 7 Terraces, 1 Destiny
Once upon a time, there were two doors (pictured left). They were born sometime in the late 1800s and adorned the shophouse of a rich Peranakan (Straits Chinese) merchant in Penang.When the house fell into ruin, they were sold separately to two of the island’s most prominent antique collectors [...]
Fancy the most unusual job in the world?
So I was discussing the idea of doing a hosting programme for WIT this year – have speakers stay with local hosts in exchange for knowledge and mentorship – and I came up against a barrage of why it won’t work in Singapore. “Our flats are too small.”“Our kids are too noisy.”“It’d [...]
Berlin pops up as top choice in ZUJI’s post-NATAS Holidays 2012 poll
On the back of the recently-completed NATAS Holidays 2012 in Singapore, ZUJIhas released its findings of its most popular travel destinations. • The proud leader of the pack this year is Berlin, with an intoxicating 70% increase in holiday goers choosing this historic city to visit. Many positiv [...]
Welcome to Intensely Asia – and the unbearable lightness of sharing
If I were to come up with a new slogan for Asia, it’d be Intensely Asia. Forget Truly. Unique. Amazing. Even Awesome.That’s because I believe everything in Asia is so intense these days it’s almost frightening in an exhilarating kind of way. Like the feeling you get from a free fall when you [...]
Brand Karma turns big data into actionable insights for hoteliers, tourism boards
Circos Brand Karma is launching today its Blackbook reports, on-demand analyses of the online reputation of key destinations and individual hotels around the world.“Big data has transformed how the travel industry makes decisions,” said Mario Jobbe, COO & Co-Founder of Circos Brand Karma. � [...]
Accor reveals insights into business travellers in APAC
Accor has revealed the findings of its third annual Accor Asia-Pacific Business Traveller Research, which seeks to better understand the travel and behavioural preferences of business travellers based in the region.The survey interviewed almost 2,600 respondents representing 26,000 business trips [...]
A chief minister turns anger into a force for good for Penang tourism
When you’ve spent a total of three years in prison, it either breaks you or it makes you angry. In Lim Guan Eng’s case, it made him angry – “but in a positive way”, he is quick to assert.“It made me more determined to change things,” said the man who, as Chief Minister of Penang (left [...]
AirAsia soars on higher fares and volume
AirAsia posted strong revenue of RM1.18 billion for the second quarter ended June 30, 2012, up 9% from a revenue of RM1.08 billion in the same quarter of 2011.The revenue growth was supported by 10% increase in passenger volume, while the average fare was 8% higher at RM177 as compared to RM164 ac [...]
Corporate travel ripe for innovation; ACTE Angel Investors joins WIT Start-Up Pitch
The ACTE Angel Investors Lounge will, for the first time, be represented on the judging panel at the WIT Start-Up Pitch at the WIT Bootcamp taking place on Oct 15 in Singapore.Kurt Knackstedt (left), the Asia Region Board Representative for ACTE for 2012-2014, will join a panel of judges, cha [...]
