Technology, travel and Trump – key takeaways from Phocuswright
Call it a funnel or a sieve or whatever, let’s face it, things are changing in online travel, lines are blurring even faster than you can say “revolution” and everyone, it seems, wants to be all things to all people.
Has specialisation died at the altar of growth – imagine, Airbnb getting [...]
Letter from Los Angeles: Globalisation and experiences are the new order in a Trump world
There were several elephants in the room during the Phocuswright conference in Los Angeles this week.
Airbnb launching Trips, taking it into Experiences and Places, with Flights and Services to be added in the future; Google Now being rolled out on top of Google flights now available in 27 co [...]
Letter from a traveller: What will it be like in the new America?
Two weeks ago, I was in Amsterdam and you couldn’t find a more liberal country than Netherlands where the coffee bars serve more than caffeine and where the people speak several languages just because they have to, situated as they are in the middle of Europe.
Even then, I sensed a growing unea [...]
Three key pillars of any startup from Air Black Box’s Timothy O’Neil-Dunne
Timothy O’Neil-Dunne is no young chook in travel. His career history includes being part of the founding team at Expedia, head of technology at Worldspan, co-founder of VaultPAD Ventures, and a managing partner at T2Impact. Needless to say, he’s built an impressive CV over the years.
Neverthe [...]
Tony Fernandes on retirement, egos and one AirAsia
Last week, Tan Sri Dr Tony Fernandes was awarded Airline Executive of the Year by CAPA (Centre for Aviation) in Amsterdam. In giving this award, CAPA said, “AirAsia is back at the front of the pack and Tony has once again shown why he is one of the industry’s leading executives. The original sho [...]
The common leadership traits of Qatar’s Akbar Al Baker and AirAsia’s Tony Fernandes
I had the pleasure of interviewing His Excellency, Akbar Al Baker, CEO of Qatar Airways, and Tan Sri Dr Tony Fernandes, group CEO, AirAsia on stage in Amsterdam last week at the CAPA Aviation Awards of Excellence 2016 and while you couldn’t find more different personalities, I was struck by what t [...]
Letter from Nikoi: Nine lessons from 12 years of WIT
I am lying on the beach in Nikoi Island, a private island retreat, off Bintan, Indonesia. This island in the Riau Archipelago was developed by former Australian banker Andrew Dixon and his partners into a back-to-nature resort for stressed out urbanites looking to reconnect with nature.
Yesterday [...]
WIT CONFERENCE 2016: Yeoh Siew Hoon looks back on the last 12 years of WIT
After 12 years, Morris Sim (co-founder of Circos Brand Karma) closed the show at this year’s WIT Conference 2016 by asking the powerful lady behind it all, Yeoh Siew Hoon, to reflect back on her experiences in building one of Asia’s largest travel and tech startup communities.
What was your m [...]
The Omni-Channel: Finding the Sweet Spot on Customer Experience
By Julian Fleming
One of the defining aspects of business in the 21st century is the amount of different ways in which customers can interact and engage with your company.
Multiple new media channels and apps have been added to the mix, alongside more traditional communication platforms and th [...]
The Millennial Traveller: Reimagining travel from high tech, super speed to low tech, walking pace
In the midst of all the build-up for WIT Singapore next week, I jetted off on an annual sojourn to the UK with my family. We made our routine stops in London and Edinburgh, before setting off for the rural landscapes of Scotland’s northern highlands.
Travelling to the Isle of Skye in the far no [...]
