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Singapore’s heritage champion honoured; Prime Minister says “better story telling” needed
03/07/2024 by WiT
Mrs Pamelia Lee (second left) flanked by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and Melissa Ow, CEO of Singapore Tourism Board. With them is chairman of the STB, Olivier Lim. In accepting the Lifetime Achievement For Outstanding Contribution to Tourism Award at the Singapore Tourism Awards last week, [...]
Wine was the lure; “hotels without strangers” is the vision for Howard Ho
02/07/2024 by Yeoh Siew Hoon
How Japan’s Section L uses tech and talent to create “fellowship among guests” at its apartment-hotels     When Howard Ho was 18 and deciding which university to apply to, he chose hotel school “because I learned that I could take a wines course and drink wine in class e [...]
Letter from Burrator: A slice of Sarawak in Dartmoor, and where AI does not mean what we think it does
28/06/2024 by Yeoh Siew Hoon
  As my friend and I were walking down a quiet country lane in Sheepstor, in West Dartmoor, England, a man stopped and asked us, “Would you two ladies happen to be from Sarawak?” We smiled and said, “No, but we are from Malaysia.”   Listen to the article here: [...]
Hassle-free airport security. Japan’s easy restaurant booking. Counting flamingos in Botswana. More.
28/06/2024 by Ian Jarrett
Airport security without the hassle The Airport Authority Hong Kong is introducing a smart security screening system at Hong Kong International Airport. The new system will be put into service across all terminals in phases from July. Passengers using the new smart security screening channels [...]
VistaJet expands personalised private flights in Southeast Asia as demand swells
27/06/2024 by Arvindh Yuvaraj
While AI is ingrained in company’s tech infrastructure, it won’t replace human-to-human interaction The global luxury travel market is seeing plenty of growth just like the rest of the travel industry. Valued at USD 1.38 trillion last year, the industry has not only bounced back to pre-pandemic [...]
Possibilities and responsibilities of travel in the age of Generative AI
27/06/2024 by WiT
The WiT Japan & North Asia Travel Tech Thinktank 2024, sponsored by EY, explored the evolving role of AI and tech in travel. Building on the Global Travel Tech Thinktank in Singapore in October 2023, the Tokyo event gathered industry leaders to discuss AI's impact on talent, product innovation, [...]
Expedia’s growth focus while giants play the long game in AI
26/06/2024 by Yeoh Siew Hoon
The divide between big and small – will it grow bigger in age of AI? After 19 years with Expedia Group, sporting a new role as chief commercial officer and president of travel partners and media since February and relocating from the US to London, Greg Schulze, speaking at Phocuswright Europe, sa [...]
How Mandai’s Belina Lee found her “ikigai” in tech, business and wildlife
25/06/2024 by Yeoh Siew Hoon
From immersive wildlife experiences to tech automation and animal care, Singapore Mandai’s deputy CEO says she’s in the business of love After  27 years of working in the corporate world, Belina Lee, Deputy CEO of Mandai Wildlife Group and CEO, Mandai X, says she’s finally found her “ikiga [...]
Letter from Barcelona: Of prohibited works and the art of balancing local interests with tourism
20/06/2024 by Yeoh Siew Hoon
The day before I arrived in Barcelona, apparently thousands of Spanish had taken to the streets in the city as well as in the islands to protest against mass tourism and overcrowding. Reports said that “up to 3,000 young people marched in Barcelona on June 8, chanting “Tourists go home” and [...]
Good news from SITA. Learn languages with Memrise. RateHawk swoops on Asia. More.
20/06/2024 by Ian Jarrett
RateHawk builds its nest in Singapore RateHawk, a B2B online system for booking hotels, air tickets, and transfers for travel professionals, is launching operations in the Asian region, from its Asian headquarters in Singapore. Dubai-based RateHawk is entering the region with a platform locali [...]