When you get to the ripe young age of 20, you’re bound to collect lots of stories – not only about the past but lessons for the future.
As WiT marks its 20th year in 2025, we turn the spotlight on our community, our tribe pioneers and leaders, to tell their stories and share their views on the evolution of online travel and technology.
We ask them to look back on the past and their early days, reflect on the present and why this moment is pivotal for online travel and get them to imagine the future, the next 20.
This special WiT Studio series, “Conversations On Turning 20”, is the collective story of WiT.
As a Chinese saying goes, 以古为鉴，可以知兴替
“By using history as a mirror, one can understand the rise and fall of things.”
Episode 19: Ho Kwon Ping, Chairman, Banyan Group
“We’ve finally crossed the river.” That’s how Ho Kwon Ping (KP), Chairman of Banyan Group, describes the company’s 30-year journey from boutique pioneer to global player with 100 hotels and counting. But don’t expect him to slow down. In this rare, wide-ranging interview, KP is at his reflective—and provocative—best, covering everything from AI and geopolitics to moon hotels and family succession.
Key Takeaways
1. The Antelope Has Crossed the River
For three decades, KP likened Banyan Group to an antelope stuck in a river of crocodiles—always fighting to survive. But now, with a strong financial base, a diversified brand portfolio, and operations in 25 countries, “we’ve made it to the far bank,” he says. The challenges ahead are no longer about survival, but adaptation—“the deserts, not the rainforest.”
2. Decentralisation is Here to Stay
COVID-19 accelerated KP’s transformation into a self-declared “digital commuter,” with homes across Singapore, Phuket, Bangkok, and Japan. Banyan Group reflects this too: no single headquarters, but rather a decentralised, globally distributed operation. “You don’t need to be in an office to lead anymore,” he says.
3. Southeast Asia’s Tower of Babel—Solved by AI?
KP calls out real-time AI-powered translation as a game-changer for intra-ASEAN travel. “When someone in Thailand can understand someone in the Philippines without needing English, that will have more impact on travel than budget airlines ever did.”
4. AI Will Exacerbate Inequality—But Not Kill Travel
While optimistic about AI’s potential, KP warns it will worsen issues in economies like the Philippines that depend on BPO jobs. Yet, contrary to fears that remote work will reduce corporate travel, he sees the opposite: “Zoom accelerates decision-making. I travel more now than ever before.”
5. The Desert Teaches Wonder
Reflecting on Banyan’s ventures in AlUla and the Middle East, KP speaks of bringing the “philosophy of wonderment” to each place—whether lush jungle or barren desert. “It’s about looking at every destination with newborn eyes.”
6. Succession: The Real Challenge is the Patriarch
On family succession, KP is clear-eyed. “If the next generation fails, it’s the fault of the parents.” His focus now is letting his children learn to navigate conflict while he’s still around, so they aren’t unprepared when it truly matters.
7. A New World Order
In one of his most poignant reflections, KP says we’re witnessing the end of Pax Americana and a return to a world of co-equal civilizations. “It’s not the Asian century. It’s the end of the Western-only model of civilization.”
8. Looking Forward: From Underwater to the Moon
He jokes about opening a Banyan on the moon—or underwater—but his point is serious: “The world is huge. And if you still wake up every day with excitement, there’s always a next one.”
When asked which property is his favorite?
“The next one.”
