The Untold Story of “The Untold Story” – Rewritten
The Projector closed this week. For many of us in Singapore, it was the only cinema that mattered – a quirky, independent space where you could be alone, yet not alone, and lose yourself in stories that mainstream theatres never touched.
Its sudden demise struck a nerve. If even movies can’t [...]
The Soundtrack of Serendipity: From Cardiff choirs to Stockholm street beats
Your desk is, I believe, a good reflection of who you are. On mine, I have a giant mug that says, “Organised people are just too lazy to look for things.” Beside it is a framed photo of David Bowie, quote, “I don't know where I’m going from here but I promise it won’t be boring.”
So, [...]
Letter from Barcelona: Rebalancing tourism in the age of protest
On the weekend after Phocuswright Europe, thousands of protestors across southern Europe took to the streets to demonstrate their unhappiness over overtourism. “Your holidays, my misery,” they chanted in Barcelona, as they held up slogans such as “mass tourism kills the city” and “their gr [...]
Reflective and inventive: Lessons from a mirrored monument in the desert
In the heart of the Ashar Valley in AlUla, Saudi Arabia, rises something extraordinary: Maraya, the world’s largest mirrored building. From afar, it appears almost unreal – shimmering like a desert mirage, warping and dissolving into the rocky landscape. Up close, it reflects the sandstone clif [...]
Letter from AlUla: In a land of stories, the real influencers rise
On my flydubai flight to AlUla, at the unearthly hour of 6:50am, I felt like my Instagram feed had come to life.
As it turns out, I’d arrived in this ancient desert kingdom in Saudi Arabia at the same time as 50 influencers gathering for the first-ever Instagram-AlUla Summit. This, I discovered [...]
Trump, tariffs and travel: How will the turbulence play out in Asia?
Could intra-Asia travel provide a soft landing?
Travel industry leaders around the world are bracing themselves for the fallout of the Trump tariffs announced yesterday, and even more so in Asia, where most countries have been lumped into the “worst offenders” bucket and are facing what BBC de [...]
White Lotus, White Noise
Okay, I’m just going to say it and risk being pelted with coconuts: White Lotus doesn’t make me want to visit Koh Samui. It makes me want to run the other way — preferably to a place without Wi-Fi or smug characters in linen suits.
But clearly, I’m in the minority.
The internet is fr [...]
Letter from Cape Town: Of luxury living, butts and dogs
“You stopping off in Johannesburg?” asked the Singapore Airlines stewardess. “No, I am getting off in Cape Town,” I replied. “Good,” she responded. “Better. Safer.”
Clearly a woman of few words, she captured the essence of what makes Africa travel so different from everywhere else [...]
Klook’s $100M fund raise signals confidence in the travel experiences sector
Reactions from industry insiders were swift and varied when news broke that Klook had raised another $100 million, this time from Vitruvian Partners. Responses ranged from admiration – “Wow, they’re a fundraising machine” – to concern – “Oh dear” – to outright battle cries: “It� [...]
OpenAI’s “Operator” and DeepSeek: Marking two auspicious moments in AI
Year of Snake heralds “the biggest travel shift” and “the biggest shift in AI”
Forget about sliding into the Lunar New Year tomorrow – the snake is leaping into the next era in Artificial Intelligence that signals the beginning of a shift in consumer behaviour as to how they book travel, [...]
