As Accor hits 1,000 in APAC, Issenberg ponders China softening, tech impact and talent
What does it take to grow a hotel group to 1,000 properties in Asia Pacific? Well, if you ask Michael Issenberg, CEO, AccorHotels APAC, it takes time and investing in people on the ground, helped of course by a handful of acquisitions.
“When I joined Accor 24 years ago, we had fewer than 50 [...]
The Wrap: Longer trips and closer to home this December for travellers, study finds
In the news: Survey on holiday trends for Q3, Travelport’s commercial team strengthened, SITA's purchase of MEXIA Interactive
Travel: Longer trips and closer to home this December for travellers, study finds
Christmas and New Year holidays fall mid-week this year, on a Tuesday, and thi [...]
Applications now open for the 2019 Booking Booster programme, focused on sustainable tourism and social enterprise startups
Applications are now open for the third annual Booking Booster accelerator programme for travel technology startups in sustainable tourism; deadline: December 2, 2018.
Up to 10 social enterprise startups will be selected and invited to the Booking Booster three-week accelerator programme in Amste [...]
The story of Mary Li: From ASLAN to Mystifly, from China to India, and truths in between
I first met Mary Li when she was introduced to me as the co-CEO of Mystifly, the India-based global airfares marketplace. My curiosity stirred, I did some research on her and found her back story. With no background in travel, she founded ASLAN, China's first data-driven travel technology company, c [...]
Can you enjoy a luxury cruise while still conserving the environment? Rascal Voyages wants to make it happen
Pairing luxury with the growing demand for sustainable travel, Rascal Voyages has partnered with Conservation International Indonesia (CI Indonesia) to create the “Exploration Series” – a collection of eight research-driven, luxury sailing expeditions across Asia.
The series is an active ef [...]
WiT Singapore 2018: Unravelling the Power Paradox in China where behemoths fight to be all things in travel
At WiT Singapore 2018, Maggie Rauch, senior director of research at Phocuswright spoke of the different worlds emerging between Asia and the rest of the world, or specifically how China is creating its own post-mobile ecosystem.
Addressing the ‘Power Paradox’, which is also the theme of the [...]
The Wrap: Emirates Skywards introduces new on-demand taxi app in partnership with CarTrawler
In the news: New taxi app for Emirates & flydubai loyalty programme members, strong China sales growth for Hotelbeds Group, Kansai Airports’ new digital campaign
Transportation: Emirates Skywards introduces new on-demand taxi app in partnership with CarTrawler
Members of Emirates S [...]
How Queenie Lee went from law graduate to travel entrepreneur in Kazakhstan
While other Singaporean girls of her age chose to stay home to pursue conventional careers after university – she herself studied law after all – 26-year Queenie Lee opted for a different path, and found herself running a travel business in Kazakhstan.
It all started in England where she was [...]
BeMyGuest unveils Xplore, a new booking system designed for Asia’s travel operators
BeMyGuest, Asia’s largest B2B aggregator of attractions, tours and activities, has launched Xplore described as “Asia’s first locally relevant digital solution for Asian travel experiences”.
Introduced at last week’s ITB Asia in Singapore, the booking system and channel manager are “s [...]
WiT Singapore 2018: MakeMyTrip’s Deep Kalra shares thoughts on the “secret sauce”, game changers and what excites him
MakeMyTrip’s chairman and group CEO Deep Kalra is often a favourite on our WiT stage because India is just that exciting and MakeMyTrip has been a key figure in the online travel community there. This time, Kalra shared about his journey from harder times to better, more promising ones, and what h [...]
