France anticipates influx of travellers during Summer Olympics, 5.4% from Japan
As the world gears up for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France, travel data shared by digital marketing platform Sojern sheds light on the burgeoning travel interest surrounding the massive event. Scheduled from July 26th to August 11th, 2024, the Olympics is said to be the largest event ever o [...]
Why Thailand picked two communities for its first “Amazing Organic” trips
Ban Bang Rong, Phuket and Mae Tha, Chiang Mai showcase for local efforts to protect communities through organic farming and sustainability practices
As part of efforts to support the Organic Tourism movement in Thailand, the Tourism Authority of Thailand has been promoting “Amazing Organic Trip� [...]
Electric vehicle rentals surge 16x during Spring Festival in China
Online travel platform Fliggy, a wholly owned subsidiary of Alibaba Group, has released an infographic highlighting the latest car rental trends and other travel insights in the Chinese tourism sector during the Spring Festival.
Here are some key highlights:
Stimulated by the increase in indep [...]
Reviving intangible heritage: Chris Ong’s mission to restore soul to Penang through rituals and artefacts at Seven Terraces
“Material heritage can be acquired, what was missing was the living culture”
In Penang, the eighth day of Lunar New Year known locally as “Pai Ti Kong” – prayers to the Jade Emperor – is celebrated with much gusto and fervour by the Hokkien clan, which is the dominant Chinese community. [...]
Excuse me, did you hear my clone speak Mandarin? A new cry in the age of AI
I was sitting at dinner to usher in the eighth day of Lunar New Year, an auspicious time in Penang, when immediately after the first course of tossing “yusheng” and shouting for prosperity, the conversation turned to AI.
I mean, we had just witnessed the most elaborate and magnificent ceremon [...]
Taylor’s terabyte tsunami. AI sidekicks. AA offloads advisors. Yugo flies with Eve.
Taylor Swift’s terabyte tsunami
It wasn’t only the airlines and hotels which had a ball when Taylor Swift performed sell-out shows in Melbourne this week.
Figures released by telco Telstra revealed that during the three nights of Swift’s Eras Tour concerts almost 300,000 people packed insi [...]
Global Travel Tech formed to tackle regulations around digital travel platforms
Six global travel brands – Expedia Group, Booking Holdings, eDreams ODIGEO, Amadeus, Travelport and Skyscanner – are joining forces to form Global Travel Tech (GTT), aimed at fostering innovation and competitiveness in response to anticipated regulatory changes affecting digital travel platforms [...]
Post-IPO, Tripla moves to consolidate in hospitality tech with three acquisitions
“Big chance for a startup like us to consolidate”: Kazuhisa Takahashi
Life after IPO in 2022 hasn’t changed that much for tripla’s CEO and co-founder Kazuhisa Takahashi, although he admits that for the first six months after listing in the Growth Market section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange, [...]
How technology has eased conversations between finance and marketing chiefs
Dynamic duo CFO Siew Kim and CCO Bee Leng unite to innovate at Ascott
Technology has not only transformed hospitality in the past decade or so but it has also made conversations easier between finance chiefs and brand marketers, two usually divergent camps because, to put it simply, one counts mone [...]
Japan’s proposed Digital Nomad Visa and what we know so far
Want to work in Tokyo but can’t find a suitable visa? For remote workers, this might just be the ticket
Japan recently unveiled its initial plans (keyword: initial) for a digital nomad visa, joining the ranks of 46 other nations offering similar arrangements for remote employees. This visa type a [...]
