Letter from Tokyo Station: Japan serious about rail, AirAsia about China and Watson about augmenting
Something unexpected happened on my travels in Japan last week. The train service from Tokyo to Shin-Osaka ran three minutes late. You should have seen the look of consternation on passengers’ faces and my Japanese friend said to me, “So sorry, this is very unusual.”
Where I come from, thre [...]
How Katsumi Sakakura conquered himself to bring Japanese cool to the world
It was two days before Katsumi Sakakura was due to perform at the opening of WIT Japan & North Asia 2017 in Tokyo and I was curious to meet the artist who had captured my imagination with his performances which blend, as he calls it, “screen power with human power”.
In dress and look, h [...]
Insatiable appetite for acquisitions in Asia as Recruit Holdings buys TrustYou and Tiket joins Blibli
At WIT Japan & North Asia 2017, the mood among investors was pretty bullish. Those attending were clear that the climate was hotter than average for investments and acquisitions throughout Asia.
Recruit Holdings, in particular, whose corporate director of global development, Aya Yamato, was o [...]
Revealed: Habits and preferences of China’s affluent travellers.
'The Chinese Luxury Traveller 2017’, published by Hurun Report in association with International Luxury Travel Market Asia (ILTM Asia), unveiled the habits of Chinese luxury outbound travellers, where they prefer to go for their holidays and what they want to do during their vacation.
The repor [...]
Imagine a future of travel through avatars – how ANA wants to impact all 7.5b people on earth
It is said that a good idea either makes you laugh or makes you very scared and the idea of travel avatars shared at the sixth WIT Japan & North Asia elicited both reactions from the audience.
Akira Fukabori, market communication intrapreneur of All Nippon Airways and Kevin Kajitani, Digita [...]
The Wrap: AccorHotels expands Singapore presence with new John Paul office, more properties
In the news: AccorHotels’ expansion in Singapore, Ctrip's car rental business, Amadeus Airport Pay for Lufthansa Group
HOSPITALITY: ACCORHOTELS EXPANDS SINGAPORE PRESENCE WITH NEW JOHN PAUL OFFICE, MORE PROPERTIES
On June 12 AccorHotels launched its subsidiary John Paul, a concierge and c [...]
Letter from Karuizawa: Of domestic sausages, chowa and online battles
Karuizawa is an hour’s train ride from Tokyo. The hill resort is a popular summer retreat for Tokyo folks looking to escape the heat and stress of city life. At WIT Japan & North Asia, there was a lot of talk about the need to disperse tourism beyond the main centres of Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto [...]
The Wrap: LUXE City Guides introduces directory for agents and hotel concierges
In the news: New directory from LUXE City Guides, Travelport’s new managing director for Greater China, Agoda’s ‘travel smart’ study
TRAVEL PRODUCTS: LUXE CITY GUIDES INTRODUCES DIRECTORY FOR AGENTS AND HOTEL CONCIERGES
LUXE City Guides has launched LUXE Directory, a new tool for h [...]
Letter from Tokyo: Why did you come to Japan? A tale of Japanese influence on youthful dreams
On the Japan Airlines flight over from Singapore, I caught a television programme made by Tokyo TV called “Why did you come to Japan?”
Clearly launched on the back of the inbound boom to Japan, it basically catches visitors at Narita airport unawares, asks them their reason for coming to the [...]
Concerns over Google and what “cockroach” startup Rome2rio is doing to make buses, boats and trains bookable
Yeoh Siew Hoon catches up with Rome2rio executive chairman Rod Cuthbert over breakfast at a café in Amsterdam where he frets about the growing power of Google and talks about the evolution of multi-modal travel as well as how the Melbourne-based “cockroach” startup intends to compete in a world [...]
