Trials & Tribulations of Nigeria: Not for the faint-hearted but vast potential
Travelstart builds new tech to fuel new dreams on back of recovery
You couldn’t pick a more challenging market than Nigeria to build an online travel business – poor economy for starters, 1.6% credit card penetration for another, currency issues etc, etc, – but therein lies the opportunity [...]
Finland’s phone-free island. Risk of greenwashing. Shiji’s frictionless payments, and more.
Tourist island declares itself phone free
Finland’s Ulko-Tammio tourist island is going phone-free this summer.
Those travelling to the island, located in the Eastern Gulf of Finland National Park, will be encouraged to switch off their smart devices, take a break from social media and enjoy n [...]
Klook taps into music tourism as official partner for Taylor Swift’s ‘The Eras Tour’
The platform will also offer first-of-its-kind bundling to its users to facilitate Swift's highly anticipated return to Singapore.
Klook, a key travel activity and experience booking platform, aims to tackle opportunities in the music tourism space by becoming the Official Experience Partner for Ta [...]
Airbnb calls for flexibility as Malaysia teases nationwide control, a first in Southeast Asia
Kuala Lumpur was Airbnb’s most visited city in South-East Asia last year, and one of the most searched destinations worldwide.
Malaysia is on the verge of becoming the first country in Southeast Asia to impose extensive restrictions on short-stay rentals, such as Airbnb, following the enforcement [...]
Shifting traveller trends: Asia and Middle East make waves in Barcelona
I’ve always felt at home in Spain, almost a sense of déjà vu each time I visit, and it thus felt fitting that I should be bringing the flavours of Asia, as well as the emerging markets of Middle East and Africa into the first Phocuswright Europe in Barcelona. Consider the similarities in our foo [...]
Letter from Barcelona: From Gaudi dreams to Dali metaverse, a whimsical journey through old and new
My first night in Barcelona after having spent a week traipsing around the coast of Costa Brava and rambling through the vineyards and isolated, mountainous villages of Priorat without encountering many tourists, indeed many humans, was a bit of a shock.
Back in this big, busting, beautiful city, [...]
Coldplay, concerts, and chaos: Music tourism is ready to be unlocked
Concerts are expected to drive tens of thousands of visitors to regional cities and inject millions into the state’s economy
Back in 2020, economists from West Virginia University conducted a study called, “Why Go Home? Pearl Jam’s ‘Home Shows’ & Hotel Demand”, to quantify the impa [...]
Look out for the “Uber of generative AI” in travel
“I hope to be around when the next big thing arrives,” says Chris Hemmeter
Who will be the first travel startup to create the “Uber of generative AI”? That’s the challenge Chris Hemmeter, managing director of Thayer Ventures, issued at the Innovation Roundtable at Phocuswright Europe taki [...]
Rakuten STAY: Japanese e-commerce giant unveils new, unmanned vacation rentals model
Alibaba has its future hotel, FlyZoo, launched in Hangzhou inn 2018. Tencent launched an AI Smart Room at the Atour S Hotel in Beijing. There was a time when Amazon sounded out the idea of Amazon-operated hotels.
Where these projects are right now is unclear but Rakuten the Japanese e-commerce gi [...]
Letter from Girona: The stuff of legends and travellers’ dreams
I suppose it is fitting that I should be staying in the Hotel Museu Llegendes in Girona because this ancient Catalonian city is so full of legends that even the locals have trouble keeping up with the stories.
The family-owned 15-room boutique hotel, opened 12 years ago, is like a homage to saint [...]
