From the revolution in human-machine interface, to transformation of the Middle East, it’s all happening here
Key takeaways from Phocuswright WiT Middle East
There’s nothing like being on the ground, and getting around, to feel the energy and vitality of a region on the move and my trip, covering Saudi and Dubai, this time left me with no doubt that this is a market that will shape the future of global [...]
Real-time hotel feedback. GoCity goes London. Tencent explores the Metaverse. More.
Designing hotel rooms by the people who sleep in them
The launch of MM:NT Berlin Lab sees Adina Hotels partnering with Häfele, Germany’s supplier of architectural hardware systems, furniture fittings, electronic access control and LED lighting to design hotels of the future.
MM:NT Berlin Lab [...]
Global Startup Pitch returns with new format
The Global Startup Pitch, by WiT, Phocuswright and PhocusWire, is back for the third year running in its quest to unearth the brightest stars on the gleaming edge of travel tech.
Welcoming both travel and non-travel startups who believe their businesses have application in the industry, the compe [...]
Airbnb puts new spin on experiences with ‘Icons’ launch
For the last several years, every May and November, Airbnb has announced a package of updates and new products related to its core accommodation product, with a focus on offerings to fine-tune the platform for its short-term rental hosts and guests. The 2024 May update, dubbed the “Summer Releas [...]
Letter from Saudi: Of cheeky encounters, cultural kaleidoscopes and social transformation
A funny thing happened to me while I was waiting at King Khalid International Airport, in Riyadh, while I was waiting for the car to my hotel, Radisson Blu, in the Diplomatic Quarter. Firstly, it’s really busy, lots of people pushing carts willy-nilly.
Listen to this episode here
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Letter enroute to Riyadh: A journey into The Land of Incredulous Possibilities
I am off to Riyadh today via Singapore. It was meant to have been via Paris but a flu bug changed my plans. It has a nasty way of doing that, as we’ve all learnt in the last few years. Nothing’s going to stop us now – yeah! A bug will.
So, I am sitting at the Emirates Lounge, which is freez [...]
Hostels are already relatively sustainable – so why not make it official?
Asian hostel bookings represent 25% of Hostelworld’s traffic, second only to Europe, with Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia doubling year-on-year.
Hostelworld, in collaboration with the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), recently launched a new sustainability framework called the 'Staircase [...]
Hotels’ digital revenue hits record high, Asia leading direct booking trends
In D-EDGE's latest Hotel Distribution Report for 2024, an analysis of the past five years reveals big shifts in online booking behavior, especially following the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The report, which draws from the data of almost 5,000 independent hotels and small hotel gro [...]
Car rental accelerates evolution. Shop before you fly. Talking the walk in wellness tourism. Exploration ship plumbs the depths.
Tech is driving car rental evolution
A report from OAG has taken a deep look at the car rental industry which, the airline data analyst says is “undergoing its biggest transformation yet, fuelled by aviation data, advanced technology and shifting consumer preferences”.
Collaborations, greene [...]
How Sentosa turned a thoroughfare into a multi-sensory sustainable experience (Sponsored)
Without disrupting migratory paths, Sensoryscape remains a stopover for birds heading south
In the latest WiT Studio episode, we chat with Michael Ma, Assistant Chief Executive of Sentosa Development Corporation, to chat about the background and innovative digital aspects of Sentosa Sensoryscape, a [...]
