Changing seasons boosts travel demand between Australia and South-east Asia
Australians heading to Asia to escape the cold
WHILE July to September is considered a slow travel season for both Australia and South-east Asian countries, Trip.com data (during June and July for these two key areas) shows that more travellers from these regions are booking trips during this seaso [...]
KKday doubles down on Vietnam, sets $100m target by 2023
FOLLOWING its Series C+ round close in July, KKday is setting its sights on Vietnam and says it aims to drive over $100 million for Vietnam's tourism industry by 2023.
The online travel experiences platform said it will focus on working with local merchants to digitise, launch marketing campaigns [...]
Javier Laforgue to head Amadeus APAC at “time of renewal”
AMADEUS has appointed Javier Laforgue as Executive Vice President, Travel Unit & Managing Director, Asia Pacific where he will oversee Amadeus’ business across the region. Javier brings more than two decades of travel industry knowledge to Asia Pacific with extensive experience in various seni [...]
Google Trends point to resurgence of travel in South-east Asia
IN its latest e-Conomy SEA findings of July 2022, Google's travel industry spotlight reported that search demand for international travel in June surpassed 2019 pre-pandemic levels across South-east Asia.
South-east Asia was the second fastest growing travel destination area – with Singapor [...]
Wego boss talks Middle East opportunity, market characteristics
Wego is continuing to build its presence in the Middle East and North Africa, taking advantage of the opportunity the region provides.
Most recently, the metasearch specialist acquired Cleartrip's Middle East business from Flipkart, which includes the acquisition of Saudi Arabia-based online tr [...]
Labour, fintech & blockchain and loyalty – the 3 investment themes with velocity
Singapore-based travel and hospitality fund, Velocity Ventures, has picked three investment themes for the second half of 2022 – labour solutions, fintech and block chain solutions and brand growth and customer loyalty.
Supporting its thesis in its 2H 2022 Travel and Hospitality Strategy & [...]
No Series B clinched yet, but founders of HalalBooking undeterred in goal to reach $1b target
“Being largely self-funded forces you to make tough choices”
TO raise venture capital or not to – that’s the question the two co-founders of HalalBooking, the UK-based search and booking website for halal-friendly travel, have wrestled with at various points of their eight-year startup jour [...]
Around Asia In One Hour: Talking wallets, mobile videos and open-ness to weed
FROM fintech to e-commerce, fuel prices and open-ness to weed, much has fast forwarded in the time travel stood still in Asia, a region that accounts for close to 60% of the world’s population, and where the biggest market, China, remains close and another major market, Japan, is still not fully o [...]
“Mountain Kid” Le Masurier wants to build Dek Doi resort for those seeking “new era of community”
From renting one room on Airbnb to building a brand
FROM helping his mother rent out the top floor of their holiday home in Chiang Dao on Airbnb six years ago, William Le Masurier now has plans to develop a resort that will capture the essence of his “Dek Doi” (which means mountain kid) brand. [...]
Covid dampens Trip.com Group’s Q1 performance, global air bookings rise
THE COVID-19 resurgence in China impacted Trip.com Group’s operations for the first quarter of 2022, with net revenue remaining flat compared to the same period in 2021 and decreasing 12% quarter-over-quarter.
Meanwhile, air ticket bookings on global platforms – Trip.com Group brands include [...]
