Spotnana x Cleartrip take flight. PKFARE unlocks 38k hotels. Southeast Asia social media trends.
Spotnana and Cleartrip partnership takes off in India
Spotnana has partnered with Cleartrip to expand its travel content offerings in India, giving customers direct access to low-cost carriers such as IndiGo, Air India Express, SpiceJet, and Akasa Air. Through an API integration, Spotnana now enabl [...]
Future Lanes Ep 3: Let’s Talk Direct | Michel Taride on the road to disruption and discovery
“Future Lanes” is a special WiT Podcast series powered by Meili, a tech company that is rewriting the rules of ancillary distribution. The series, covering six episodes, is all about getting direct – cutting through the noise with unfiltered conversations on what’s shaping the next decade of [...]
The ‘new’ paper guidebook | Strategies helping Go City win the attractions race
Remember when paper guidebooks used to be a traveller’s way of getting around? One could argue that while the guidebook is antiquated at this point, the concept of a travel guide has never been more in demand. Smartphones may have replaced physical guides, but the need of the traveller remains the [...]
Klook secures $100m from Vitruvian Partners
Ethan Lin: “This raise isn't just about capital, it's about confidence”
Barely more than a year since it raised $210m in December 2023, Klook, the leading platform for experiences and travel services in Asia, has announced US$100 million in funding led by the global growth investment firm Vitru [...]
Belli takes a crack at disrupting the massive air cargo market
$6 trillion worth of goods a year flown by air, 35% of world trade
With global air cargo at a record high, it is no wonder that new tech startups are attempting to disrupt this sector that transports $6 trillion worth of goods annually, accounting for approximately 35% of world trade by value, acco [...]
Meet Gen Z’s favourite travel search engine, TikTok
Eason Zhang discusses TikTok’s growing role in travel, from discovery to bookings
Editor's note: When this interview was recorded, Eason Zhang was Head of Travel, Strategic Partnerships TikTok SEA, as reflected in the video. Recently, Eason became Head of Apps, Strategic Partners SEA at Tik [...]
Travel tech lacks diversity. Cathay Pacific gets speedy. Bed bug business. AI aids Trivago.
SITA and Cathay Pacific boost network speeds across 51 airports
Cathay Pacific has signed an agreement with SITA to enhance network connectivity across 51 global airports, increasing bandwidth by up to five times while maintaining cost efficiency. The airline, an early adopter of SITA’s network s [...]
Trends fuelling the Marriott “rocket ship” in APEC as group hails “record-breaking year”
Record year in deals; Bonvoy app downloads rise; digital direct grows
It was good news all around at the Marriott International media briefing this week as the hotel group announced a record-breaking year in 2024 in the Asia Pacific, excluding China (APEC), region.
The numbers speak for themsel [...]
Tourism spending in Singapore hits record high amid shift to attract premium travellers
Singapore had good reason for cheer this week as the Singapore Tourism Board announced that tourism spending in 2024 is on track to hit an all-time high, surpassing the pre-pandemic high of $27.7 billion in 2019.
International Visitor Arrivals (IVA) increased by 21% (compared to 2023) to 16.5 mil [...]
Snakes, DeepSeek and the speed of AI: How travel tech will be transformed
Bobby Healy: “You can’t afford to just dabble in AI, it’s a complete re-architecture of how your company operates”
It’s Chinese New Year, and I’m in Penang celebrating the Year of the Snake. Traditionally, that might signify a slow, slithery year but what’s happening in AI and travel [...]
