Japan, China remain big gaps in APAC’s travel rebound
Amid Japan’s tentative reopening, Indonesia’s removal of tests, IATA’s Walsh calls for acceleration of recovery
THE two big gaps in Asia Pacific’s aviation recovery are China and Japan, noted Willie Walsh, IATA’s director general, in his keynote address at the Changi Aviation Summit thi [...]
Airbnb enables “split stays” to ease inventory woes
IN what has become a familiar cadence of biannual comprehensive updates, Airbnb is releasing the newest version of its platform, described as “the biggest change to Airbnb in a decade.”
In 2021, Airbnb also released widespread revisions in May and again in November.
One of the most interes [...]
The Wrap: Klook and KAYAK expanded partnership, Sabre’s acquisition of Nuvola, Tourism Malaysia-Emirates MOC
THE Wrap is a round-up of news in the travel and technology sector – new partnerships, product launches, aviation industry updates, innovative solutions, and more …
Klook, KAYAK expand partnership, integrate activities inventory
Travel and leisure e-commerce platform Klook and travel searc [...]
Global search volume up, improved lodging performance, new report finds
NEW data shows rising travel intent and growing traveller confidence contributed to longer search windows and improved lodging performance
The insights from the Expedia Group Media Solutions Q1 2022 Travel Trend Report are from data collected from Asia Pacific (APAC), Middle East, and Afri [...]
Sabre maps how the pandemic has changed travel
SABRE Corporation has released a new global travel industry study, ‘Mapping Travel’s New Normal’, which identifies prominent shifts in travel.
The wide-ranging study, highlighting the different areas of focus for airlines and travel agencies, involved both quantitative and qualitative resea [...]
Travel is roaring back – Yum Seng
I attended my first wedding in Singapore this week and what a joyous occasion it was. I had forgotten how raucous and noisy a Chinese wedding can be – yes, there were still rules around intermingling between tables and masks on (when not eating and drinking, rare moments indeed during a wedding ba [...]
Qatar Airways enters the metaverse with the world’s first virtual cabin crew
QATAR Airways has stepped into the metaverse with the launch of Qverse, a virtual reality (VR) experience for visitors to the airline's website.
It features the world’s first known ‘MetaHuman’ cabin crew, Sama, to guide website visitors on the virtual tour.
Sama’s name originates from [...]
Asia Pacific preferred choice for travellers as they plan international trips
MORE than two years into the Covid pandemic people are planning to travel internationally again, with destinations in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region top of their mind.
The date was revealed in a survey, commissioned by Airbnb and undertaken by YouGov, caried out among than 6,000 people across [...]
Expedia Group revenue jumps 81% as travel recovery continues
EXPEDIA Group saw total gross bookings and total revenue both increase significantly in the first quarter of 2022, according to the online travel giant’s latest earnings report.
Gross bookings for the three months ending March 31, 2022, were $24.4 billion, up 58% compared to $15.4 billion in [...]
Expedia’s three-pronged approach to serve traveller needs
Open World, move away from price, planning and collaborative tools, all in arsenal to face the future
AT its annual partner event, EXPLORE, Expedia Group debuted a three-tiered strategy to redefine its place in travel, including a new technology platform to power the industry called Expedia Group� [...]
