APAC air travel 8 percentage points from full recovery, load factor hits record high
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released data for August 2024 global passenger demand with the following highlights:
Total demand, measured in revenue passenger kilometers (RPK), was up 8.6% compared to August 2023. Total capacity, measured in available seat kilometers (ASK), [...]
Alipay+ transactions triple in 2024 as travel industry embraces cross-border digital payment and marketing technology
Alipay+, Ant International’s cross-border mobile payment and digitalisation solution, revealed three trends shaping the future of tourism to the benefit of global merchants and the industry. Alipay+ is a suite of cross-border digital payment, marketing and digitalisation solutions that help connec [...]
Zoomers bloom. Alipay+ goes local. Robotaxi wars heat up. More.
Zoomers on the move in China
China Trading Desk’s latest 15,000-person report shows the continued growth in Chinese outbound travel volumes and that Chinese tourists are increasingly opting for more luxurious accommodations and longer trips booked later and later.
According to China Trading De [...]
Asian mass-affluent travellers expected to invest in long-haul trips, with multiple destination stops
Expedia Group unveiled its study highlighting the preferences of the growing Asian middle class, expected to reach 3.5 billion people and make up two-thirds of the world’s middle class by 2030. The study provides travel industry professionals with the context to better serve the increasing number [...]
Where the leap comes – AI moves outside
Timothy O’Neil-Dunne gets excited about an experimental project called I-XRAY which removes the screen and could potentially change the human-machine interface like nothing we’ve yet seen. He also examines its possible applications for society and travel and how to mitigate privacy concerns.
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82% of Southeast Asians follow influencer recommendations, YouTube most popular platform
Despite whispers of its waning popularity among younger demographics, Facebook still incredibly influential in the Southeast Asian region
impact.com, a partnership management platform, in collaboration with Cube Asia, an e-commerce market intelligence provider for Southeast Asia, have released a [...]
A thaw in the airline-GDS relationship is happening
Timothy O’Neil-Dunne reports on his key observations made at the recent T2RL Engage conference in London.
That great chill between airlines and the GDSes is beginning to see a softening and a thaw in the relationships. Perhaps global warming can have some positive impact.
That’s th [...]
Vouch harnesses AI to boost hotel efficiency and revenue
Vouch, a hotel operations management solutions provider, recently announced the expansion of its product suite with innovative AI-powered features. Vouch is a multi-award-winning platform which services 35,000+ rooms across 32 cities, supporting hoteliers to boost revenue, enhance guest experience, [...]
Kabuk Style announces partnership with Hotelbeds to expand global destinations
Kabuk Style Inc., the company behind HafH, an online subscription hotel booking service, recently announced an strategic partnership with Hotelbeds, a leading online distributor for wholesalers, supply partners and destinations worldwide. This collaboration is a milestone in Kabuk Style’s miss [...]
AI in the air. Toyota backs air taxis. A boost for Podcasters. Switchless, pay less. More
This is your Captain AI speaking
Turkey’s Pegasus Airlines has launched a multilingual project allowing flights to Spanish, Arabic, and Russian-speaking countries to feature AI-generated announcements in the respective local language, following the English version.
The Pegasus Innovation Lab, [...]
