Does the coffee ever spill? Bobby Healy on friendships, rentals and drone deliveries
In the daily blitz of technological advancements, we sometimes forget just how far we’ve come in terms of mobility in the travel tech space. Bobby Healy, serial entrepreneur and founder of Manna Drone Delivery and co-founder of Meili Travel Technology, uses his fleet of drones to deliver everythin [...]
Velocity Ventures invests in BYHOURS to support Asian expansion
The rising demand for microstays, particularly the unique 3-hour pack, indicates a trend in consumer expectations in the hospitality sector.
Velocity Ventures, a hospitality and travel-focused venture capital firm headquartered in Singapore with a focus on the Hospitality and Travel industry in Sou [...]
Electric air taxis takeoff in 2024, Swiftie surge, and agents of influence
Australia noted a 446% week-over-week growth in booking volumes after Taylor Swift concert announcements in Melbourne and Sydney
Amadeus has released its 2024 travel trends and as pointed out by similar courtesy of Booking.com and Expedia, travel and hospitality continue to shift and evolve in this [...]
5 key takeaways from The Phocuswright Conference
Will artificial intelligence change travel booking forever? What’s the most important thing to consider when starting a company? Could Hopper become profitable soon? How should travel companies market to Gen Z on social media? Is Kayak under threat from one of its co-founders’ newest ventur [...]
WiT Podcast: Expedia’s Schulze and Nair on rising to the occasion in travel and hospitality
As a company, Expedia Group is no stranger to change - the company has been through many shifts in the travel and hospitality industry, from technological booms to slumps in the global economy, to the current AI revolution amidst a worldwide recovery phase.
Similarly, two travel veterans, Greg Sc [...]
Google’s safe Maps. Austria’s night trains. India’s air taxis. Klook x STB.
This week: Google tracks safety in South Africa, lift-off for India’s air taxis and a new dawn for night trains in Europe.
Google fights crime in Cape Town
Google has made changes to its Maps application, following a recent attack on an American tourist near Cape Town International Airp [...]
TV shows influence travellers more than social media, destination dupes, and more trends
Taipei named top destination in 2024, while unexpected cities such as Kuala Lumpur, Edmonton, and Mexico City are tourism hotspots next year
Expedia has just released Unpack '24, a report offering a sneak peek into the upcoming travel trends for 2024. Combining first-party travel data and insights [...]
Phocuswright unveils Top 25 travel startups of 2024, 8% from Asia Pacific
New list spotlights pandemic-era innovations, with 17 startups born in the last three years
PhocusWire, the media and news division powered by Phocuswright, has unveiled its list of the "Hot 25 Travel Startups for 2024" at The Phocuswright Conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
This year's sele [...]
Go City and Weixin Pay sign 3-year partnership, notes revenue growth from Chinese customers
Partnership to facilitate sightseeing experiences for Chinese tourists across Go City's platform
Go City, a multi-attraction pass provider, and Weixin Pay, a payment feature within the Weixin app, have formalised a collaboration with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the Capitol [...]
Airbnb acquires GamePlanner.AI, expands AI capabilities
Tech giant invests nearly $200 million in stealth AI startup founded by Siri co-creator
In its first acquisition since 2019 and first-ever as a public company, Airbnb has acquired GamePlanner.AI, a stealth 12-person AI company founded by Adam Cheyer and Siamak Hodjat. Adam Cheyer, known for co-foun [...]
