The Wrap: STB, Alipay broaden partnership to draw more Chinese travellers to the city-state
In the news: New initiatives from Singapore Tourism Board and Alipay to boost visitor arrivals; Etihad Airways using messaging app to connect with guests
Destinations: STB, Alipay broaden partnership to draw more Chinese travellers to the city-state
Another partnership is yet strengthened [...]
Taiwanese tours & activities platform KKday enters China under Alibaba partnership
Taiwanese tours and activities platform, KKday, is going from strength to strength as it recently announced a new investment from the Alibaba Entrepreneurs Fund. The investment details have not been disclosed.
With this, the three-year old startup is collaborating with Alibaba to launch a flagshi [...]
Meta & Messaging: A Marriage Made In Heaven? LINE invests in Venture Republic to ease entry into travel
In yet another sign of the consolidation and disruption taking place in the digital travel space, LINE Corporation, which runs Japan’s dominant messaging app, has taken a 34% equity in Venture Republic (VR), which operates “Travel.jp” Japan’s leading travel metasearch.
The dollar value of [...]
The Wrap: Raffles, Fairmont and Swissôtel loyalty platforms integrate with Le Club AccorHotels programme
In the news: Of loyalty programmes, partnership and NDC - this week’s focus featuring AccorHotels, Malaysia Airlines, Livin and Travello, and Sabre.
Hotels: Raffles, Fairmont and Swissôtel loyalty platforms integrate with Le Club AccorHotels programme
AccorHotels Group’s loyalty pro [...]
Through the Looking Glass: Dig deeper into your customer base before hunting in new pools
In this second of the series of articles around our WIT Singapore 2018 Conference theme of “Through The Looking Glass”, where we look outside travel in search of different stories and lessons, we turn to Japan’s third largest convenience store chain, Lawson, on how it is evolving its tradition [...]
John Brown on succession, startup culture and how AI is part of everything Agoda does
Some might argue that John Brown, the new CEO of Agoda, has a harder job today than Rob Rosenstein, the man whom he recently succeeded and who founded the Thailand-based hotel portal with Michael Kenny in 1998.
After all, back then, it was the early heady days of the Internet, there wasn’t [...]
Through the Looking Glass: How technology has given 83-year-old Masako Wakamiya wings
If there is one person who has proven that technology transcends age, it is Masako Wakamiya.
In this first of the series of articles around our WIT Singapore 2018 Conference theme of “Through The Looking Glass”, where we look outside travel in search of different stories and lessons, we meet [...]
The Wrap: Lufthansa expands its innovation hub digitisation unit to Singapore and Shenzhen
In the news: Lufthansa launches innovation hub in two Asian cities, Softbank invests in handy, FCM and Sabre have new executives
Travel Technology: Lufthansa expands its innovation hub digitisation unit to Singapore and Shenzhen
Strong growth in Lufthansa’s business in Asia has prompted [...]
Game on as LINE enters travel: Key lessons from WIT Japan & North Asia
There we were at WiT Japan & North Asia speaking of the disruption taking place in travel and the day after we wrap up our two-day event comes the news that LINE, Japan’s main messaging app, is getting into travel.
The news release said that LINE Travel “would be a comprehensive travel se [...]
AccorHotels to buy half of lifestyle hospitality company sbe for US$319m
The song “Nothing Gonna Stop Us Now” by Jefferson Starship comes to mind when receiving news of yet another acquisition by AccorHotels - this time purchasing a 50% stake in New York-based luxury lifestyle operator, sbe Entertainment Group (sbe).
This investment will see AccorHotels expanding [...]
