Technology
Stripe’s Harapin on Tokyu’s subscription service, off-peak revenue, and the untapped Japanese market
18/03/2024 by Arvindh Yuvaraj
“Tokyo commands the highest average room rates in the region but the region’s monthly occupancy rate is still below pre-pandemic levels, suggesting significant growth potential,” says Stripe’s Chief Revenue Officer, Asia Pacific & Japan With over 200 businesses under its umbrella spanni [...]
14% increase in travel technology investment set for 2024
15/03/2024 by Arvindh Yuvaraj
Recent research conducted by Amadeus, titled "Travel Technology Investment Trends," reveals a significant surge in technology investment across various sectors within the travel industry in 2024. The study, the first of its kind to comprehensively analyse investment intentions and technology priorit [...]
Booking bullet trains. Azgo cashback. Velma assists Warwick Hotels. More.
15/03/2024 by Ian Jarrett
Booking the bullet now easier Tokyo-listed Inbound Platform Corp has launched its Shinkansen (bullet train) ticket service, which includes basic fares, express tickets and ticket issuance via QR codes, for international travellers and foreign residents in Japan. Through the ‘Japan Bullet Train [...]
Spotnana launches events platform aimed at travel management for corporate gatherings
13/03/2024 by Arvindh Yuvaraj
“Large global enterprises that we serve have been asking us to provide a product for meeting and event travel,” says CEO Travel-as-a-Service platform Spotnana has announced the launch of Spotnana Events, a solution focused on the travel management market for corporate meetings and events. With [...]
I&CO expands in Asia, forms design capital alliance with Trambellir
13/03/2024 by Arvindh Yuvaraj
I&CO, a global design agency, has officialsed a strategic alliance with Trambellir, a Malaysia-based online medical tourism booking platform. The collaboration entails enhancing Trambellir's user interface (UI) and overall business assets through I&CO's design expertise. Trambellir serves [...]
Amadeus acquires travel payments platform Voxel, expands into complementary areas for customers 
12/03/2024 by Arvindh Yuvaraj
Acquisition aims to enhance payments experience between a range of different players across the travel ecosystem Technology provider Amadeus has finalised the acquisition of Voxel as a strategic move to enhance its payment solutions. Voxel, known for electronic invoicing and B2B payment solution [...]
45% surge in APAC air traffic, China’s reopening a big contributor
11/03/2024 by Arvindh Yuvaraj
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has released its latest data, revealing a positive start for global air passenger demand in January 2024. The statistics, measured in revenue passenger kilometers (RPKs) and available seat kilometers (ASK), demonstrate significant growth across key [...]
TravelAI rescues Casai. Women in the workforce. Jeeves the Snackbot. Hotelbeds of the Caribbean.
07/03/2024 by Ian Jarrett
Women in the workforce: The Economist crunches the numbers To mark International Women’s Day on 8 March, The Economist has released its annual glass-ceiling index, its measure of the role and influence of women in the workforce. The publisher looked at 10 indicators—from labour-force partici [...]
Wayra and HBX Group unveil winning startups to join TravelTech Lab
07/03/2024 by Arvindh Yuvaraj
B2B platform HBX Group and Wayra, Telefónica's Corporate Venture Capital arm, have announced the winners of the second TravelTech Lab challenge. The announcement comes after a rigorous evaluation of 120 companies hailing from 25 countries, including Spain, France, UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Sing [...]
I have a dream: Travelling with dignity and humility
07/03/2024 by Yeoh Siew Hoon
How tech can play a role from armchair travel to the physical journey I’ve now come to an age when my mother needs a wheelchair for travelling. Day to day, she lives a fairly normal active life but travelling, that’s another proposition. Travelling is a highly physical activity – those lon [...]