Purple Elephant Ventures raises $4.5M to build travel technology in Africa
Kenya’s startup studio Purple Elephant Ventures (PEV) has received $4.5 million in seed funding to push forward its mission to transform Africa’s tourism industry.
Purple Elephant Ventures aims to make Africa a leading player in regenerative tourism, focused on creating a travel sector that [...]
Letter from Penang: Some repetitive tasks should not be replaced by AI
When Eric Chong of Green Acres, Penang, suggested we spend a morning harvesting cloves, I jumped at the chance to detach from the wired world – if only for a little while. It wasn’t just for me, though. I was also looking for something to get two Gen Alpha kids out of their YouTube bubble and in [...]
AI, sustainability, and piña coladas | Reviewing 2024 and prepping for 2025 (WiT Podcast)
2024 brought both promises and challenges to the travel industry, especially around sustainability, AI, and evolving traveller behaviors. As Timothy Hughes, Vice President of Corporate Development at Agoda, reflects on the past year, he offers insights that hint at what’s ahead in 2025. From the p [...]
Klook’s surge in Korea: Localised operations driving global ambitions
Korea needs more localisation than most, says Klook's James Lee
In a travel market renowned for its digital nuances and unique consumer behaviors, Klook is making significant strides in South Korea by tailoring its operations to meet local needs while leveraging global resources.
The company, un [...]
Make travel experiences simple and seamless, says Go City CEO, Jon Owen
How exactly is Go City riding the wave of technological change in the attractions industry?
For Jon Owen, CEO of Go City, the answer lies in seamless connectivity and a constant commitment to making travel experiences simpler. "We offer customers attraction passes to destinations with the promise [...]
Uncovering the real Korea: From Hanoks to Jang and Herbs, three entrepreneurs taking the Slow, deliberate path
While inbound numbers to Korea are not yet back to 2019’s level of 20 million, currently hovering at around 15-16 million, most of it is being fuelled by the huge interest in everything K – K-pop, K-drama and K-beauty – with travellers from Asia forming the majority of visitors.
But underne [...]
Fast Forward: Where tours & activities will take us in a decade
Editor’s Note: Remember back when we used to plan a decade ahead? Luke Clark does: and thanks to some WiT enabled rose-tinted glasses, he takes a look at some of the trends driving tours and activities into the next decade and beyond.
Bill Gates is believed to be responsible for the truism that [...]
See You Soon: Destination experiences for the Next Generation
How Mandai, AlUlA and Queenstown are transforming to face the future
From a manmade attraction in urban Singapore to an ancient kingdom in the Saudi Arabian desert to how the tourism town of Queenstown is being transformed into a technology hub, destinations are rethinking how they face the future. [...]
Gambler, Promoter or Maker? How Klook’s Ethan Lin Defines the Next Era of Travel Entrepreneurship
When you look at Ethan Lin, CEO and co-founder of Klook, you might wonder: is he a gambler, a promoter, or a maker – the three archetypes described by Thayer Ventures’ Chris Hemmeter in this article, when describing the evolution of the travel entrepreneur over the last two decades. (See related [...]
Seek Sophie’s Jacinta Lim on the dichotomy between generations in travel
As a first-time speaker and attendee at WiT Singapore, Jacinta Lim, CEO & co-founder of Seek Sophie, found the experience very enlightening.
“I actually went to a lot of conferences (tech though, not travel) when we first started because the conversations were quite shallow. But I found the [...]
