Year In Review 2024, Looking Ahead To 2025: Part 1
New years always begin with such anticipation while we end each year with a tinge of nostalgia, a mood of reflection and sometimes, a sigh of relief that another year is over. Well, this is it – we’re coming to the end of 2024 and as we wind down for what was yet another tumultuous year, it’s [...]
Key takeaways of the next generation | WiT Singapore 2024
From AI to evolving demographics, so much was discussed at WiT Singapore this year. The event kicked off the ‘Next Generation’ and gathered the brightest minds in travel, tech, and innovation to explore the future of travel and hospitality. Global leaders and industry giants got together to disc [...]
Musings on AI, knowledge appliances and the travel consumer
Just lately I, like so many people, am scratching my head to get a handle on AI, which I prefer to think of Assisted Intelligence. For me, the question I am asking is, how can we provide value to our consumers? At present we don’t seem to be doing anything that directly helps the customer, other t [...]
Hostaway announces $365 million strategic growth investment
Hostaway, an all-in-one vacation rental software and management system, announced it has secured a $365 million strategic growth investment led by General Atlantic, a global growth investor, with participation from existing investor PSG Equity.
Hostaway plans to partner with General Atlantic and [...]
AI, sustainability, and piña coladas | Reviewing 2024 and prepping for 2025 (WiT Podcast)
2024 brought both promises and challenges to the travel industry, especially around sustainability, AI, and evolving traveller behaviors. As Timothy Hughes, Vice President of Corporate Development at Agoda, reflects on the past year, he offers insights that hint at what’s ahead in 2025. From the p [...]
Singaporeans prefer ‘rest and recharge’, Indonesians like adventure, study finds
Travel booking platform, Traveloka, in partnership with YouGov, has released a study called "Travel Redefined: Understanding and Catering to the Diverse Needs of APAC Travelers". Based on a survey of nearly 12,000 respondents across nine countries, the study highlights the evolving travel habits and [...]
Trailblazing travel tech in Korea: The Journeys of Donggun Lee and Jiha Jung
In the world of Korean travel tech, two entrepreneurs – Donggun Lee, the visionary founder of MyRealTrip, and Jiha Jung, the driving force behind Tripbtoz.
Lee, who won the WiT Startup Pitch in Japan in 2014, started MyRealTrip in 2012, using tours and activities as an entry point. Jung, who wo [...]
WiT Singapore 2024 in 5 minutes – the faces and phrases of the Next Generation
WiT Singapore 2024 kicked off the Next Generation of travel tech in Asia by gathering the brightest minds in the industry on one stage, over three insightful days. Take a quick look back at all the experts - from indie trailblazers to industry giants - who made the event a success.
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Klook’s surge in Korea: Localised operations driving global ambitions
Korea needs more localisation than most, says Klook's James Lee
In a travel market renowned for its digital nuances and unique consumer behaviors, Klook is making significant strides in South Korea by tailoring its operations to meet local needs while leveraging global resources.
The company, un [...]
Decoding the future of search and travel discovery in an AI-driven world
The Evolution of Search: From Cave Walls to Google
With the rise of social networks in the last 10 years, and Generative AI in the last two, it’s a messy time to start predicting the future of search and travel discovery.
Most of us have spent the last two decades using Google as the ultimate [...]
