How travellers around the world are using AI differently
On the cusp of TripGenie's third anniversary, new data from Trip.com’s AI travel assistant reveals that three years of real-world usage have surfaced new patterns in how travellers plan, decide and navigate their journeys.
What began as a functional tool has evolved into a trusted end-to-end trav [...]
Indonesia’s online travel market eyes $17 billion future
Indonesia’s digital landscape is moving fast, and travel is at the very heart of this evolution. As a sneak peek into our new Indonesia Explored report, part of our Online Travel Tracker series, we’re diving into how local Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) are not just defending their home turf but [...]
Zodiac tourism. Airbnb’s Reserve Now, Pay Later. Amadeus buys SkyLink. Klook and Osaka partner.
Year of the Horse ignites global travel surge
During the 2026 Lunar New Year holiday (Feb. 15-23), Weixin Mini Programs saw a total transaction value increase of over 65% year-on-year (YoY). Outbound Chinese tourists drove significant growth across several sectors, including a 35%+ YoY rise in dini [...]
Travel platforms that survive won’t choose between AI and people. They’ll need both.
New “Hosted Trips” product deepens monetization for creators and travel agents, unlocking incremental demand across TourRadar’s global operator network. Listings with user-generated video convert 29% higher.
TourRadar is launching Hosted Trips, a product that gives creators and travel agents [...]
AI adoption is widespread, but developer confidence is still catching up
Developers across Southeast Asia and India are using AI at scale, but confidence in its reliability has yet to fully mature, according to findings from Agoda’s AI Developer Report 2025. While AI has become a regular part of software development workflows, many engineers remain cautious, treating i [...]
Data silos impact revenue. Multi-component trips rise. MakeMyTrip, Ixigo collab with OpenAI. Agoda’s flagship stores.
Multi-component trip bookings rise as connected trip push gains traction
Booking Holdings reported a 20% increase in travellers booking multiple trip components, as its “connected trip” strategy continues to gain traction. In 2025, multi-vertical transactions grew in the high-20% range and repr [...]
Measuring economic impact ranks as DMOs’ top priority amid AI disruption
Sojern, a leading digital marketing platform built for hospitality and recently acquired by RateGain, has announced the launch of its “State of Destination Marketing 2026” report, examining how destination marketing organizations (DMOs) are navigating economic pressure, rising performance expec [...]
How LEGOLAND Malaysia is building for the repeat visitor
“When a large portion of your audience can visit multiple times a year, growth no longer comes just from attracting new guests, but from giving loyal guests a reason to return.”
As Johor doubles down on cross-border connectivity and family tourism for Visit Johor 2026, LEGOLAND Malaysia Resort [...]
Letter from Tokyo: Ramen ritual, love robots, a dog and an eel
One of the reasons I love visiting Tokyo is that in a single day, you can be transported to the future – catching a glimpse of what the world might become – and then, just hours later, be pulled gently back in time, into a place of exquisite taste, deep tradition and unexpected warmth.
This [...]
Dida x HBX Group. Sabre, PayPal, Mindtrip launch agentic AI. US ESTA backlash. Expedia grows.
Dida and HBX Group sign 7-year deal
Dida Holdings has signed a seven-year preferred strategic partnership with HBX Group, formalising long-term infrastructure alignment as both companies prepare for what they describe as an AI-led shift in global travel distribution. Under the agreement, HBX become [...]
