You got to milk the cow to survive in the OTA farm
So there I was – I had just written my post about how hard it is to build an OTA of any consequence and during the first session I attended at ITB Berlin, Darren Huston, President & CEO of Priceline Group, was talking about “milking the cow”.“Our employees are workhorses, not show ponies [...]
Letter from Berlin: The hard, hard world of online travel
First stop, KaDaWe, the store that once was the beacon of capitalism when the Berlin Wall was still a Wall. It’s been upgraded and refreshed but essentially the layout’s still the same.The sixth floor is where, during ITB week, you will run into the world’s travel industry professionals who co [...]
Letter from Penang: Meet the new digital hippies out to create the island’s future
In my interview with the Straits Times of Singapore last month, I told the reporter that it was the hippies who first inspired me to get into travel. I would see them wandering round the streets with a certain smile on their face, and I wanted to be like them.I thought the smile was from happiness, [...]
Singapore debates pros and cons of short-term rentals as sharing models lobby to stave off ban
Like everywhere else, Singapore is trying to figure out what to do with the sharing economy or, more specifically, short-term rentals.This week, Airbnb and travelmob sent out emails to their members, encouraging them to take part in a survey being conducted by the URA (Urban Redevelopment Authority) [...]
The power of NOW – in that instant, loyalty is strengthened or broken
I like to think I am somewhat of a loyal person. I have friends for life. And I think most of them will show up at my funeral. I try and learn from my dogs everyday what true loyalty means.As a customer, I am also generally loyal. I am loyal not per se to the brands but to my friends working in thos [...]
Letter from Auckland: Looking good, old gal, and the future’s looking good too
Compared with Singapore, which turns 50 this year, Auckland’s an old gal at 175 but she sure looks good.Perhaps I saw her in the best light. It was a perfect summer’s weekend for Auckland’s 175th anniversary celebrations (Jan 23-25) – cloudless blue sky meets shimmering blue sea – and the [...]
Leaving home, but never really leaving it: The invisible web
It’s amazing how much has changed in the last five years and perhaps it’s because we live it everyday that we don’t notice how it’s crept up on us, so as to be almost a part of us.I am talking about technology, especially that part that moves with us, and why I believe (no brainer, really) t [...]
ADD be gone, write great letters and welcome back, long-form
Dear FriendsHappy new year. I know. I am late. But it took me a while to get my brain back into gear after I put it to sleep over the holidays.It wasn’t actually sleeping really, just wandered off. But now that it’s back in working order, I find myself thinking about attention span, letter writi [...]
If you want to be Guardians of the Start-Up Galaxy, here’s what you should heed
There is a scene in the opening sequence of the movie “Guardians of the Galaxy” that sticks with me. Our hero, Peter Quill, is walking into a cave. He’s wearing pretty fancy futuristic gear, having flown in his super duper futuristic craft. You are at the edge of your seat wondering what’s l [...]
Letter from Bangkok: Secrets of successful, happy people
I woke up this morning. Wondered where I was. But took a deep breath and stayed calm.This is after all the advice from what is apparently the most influential post on LinkedIn, which has unknowingly or knowingly to some of us become not only a job marketplace but a media platform.Dr Travis Bradberry [...]
