Secondary cities are in Asia’s travel spotlight
Agoda data shows accommodation searches in secondary Asian cities have grown 15% faster than traditional hubs over the past two years, with destinations like Sapa, Okayama, and Bandung seeing the biggest jumps in international interest. To mark its 21st anniversary, Agoda is running a regional campaign from May 3–21, offering partners tiered promotional windows, including a main sale with up to 60% off and a Flash Sale hitting up to 70%.
Grab gets first cross-border ride-hail license
Singapore’s LTA has awarded GrabCar the first-ever Cross-border Ride-hail Service Operator Licence (CRSOL), valid for three years from April 30, 2026. Under the licence, cross-border taxis can drop off passengers anywhere in Singapore and across key Johor areas including JB, Iskandar Puteri, and Senai, with pick-ups expanded to three new designated points on the foreign side. Operators must meet requirements around cross-border insurance, vehicle identification, and compliance with both countries’ regulations, and other operators are free to apply for the licence too.
Dubai hotels eye Summer comeback after a rocky Spring
Hotel demand in Dubai took a sharp hit between March and May, dropping to just 7%–14% of pre-disruption levels amid geopolitical headwinds. According to RateGain, the market is now stabilizing, with demand forecast to recover to 20%–30% this summer, driven by the restoration of air capacity, returning business and regional travelers, and a pickup in MICE events. It’s a limited but positive turn, pointing toward gradual normalization rather than a full rebound.
AI is playing a growing role in how hotels navigate the uncertainty. RateGain notes that operators are increasingly leaning on AI tools to read real-time demand signals, adjust pricing dynamically, and make faster decisions in volatile conditions — capabilities that are becoming a competitive edge in markets as externally sensitive as Dubai. The company positions itself as a key partner in this shift, offering predictive solutions designed to help hotels capture opportunities even when market conditions remain unpredictable.
Labour Day sends Singaporeans and Chinese travellers on booking surge
This Labour Day holiday is shaping up to be a bumper period for outbound travel, with Trip.com Group data showing a 15% year-on-year jump in flight bookings from both Singapore and China. Singaporeans made the most of the long weekend with quick overseas escapes — KL, Bangkok, and Seoul topped the list — while Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Sydney were the fastest-growing destinations, each posting 30%+ growth. Multi-city bookings also rose 16% YoY, with travellers planning further ahead, averaging nearly two months out.
Chinese travellers leaned international over domestic this year, aided by the extended five-day break, with outbound bookings seeing double-digit YoY growth and multi-destination trips surging 31%. Seoul, Bangkok, Singapore, KL, and Tokyo ranked as the top international picks, while hotels dominated accommodation choices for both markets — accounting for nearly 80–90% of bookings. On the inbound side, China remained Singapore’s top tourist source market over the holiday period, followed by Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
Mindtrip wants to make flight booking a conversation, not a chore
Mindtrip has launched Mindtrip Flights, a conversational AI booking experience built on Sabre’s Mosaic platform and integrated with PayPal, letting travelers search, compare, and book flights entirely through chat — no filters, no endless scrolling. Users can ask natural-language questions, handle complex itineraries like multi-city group trips, and check out via PayPal (including Buy Now, Pay Later) without ever leaving the interface. As a launch promo, travelers who spend $250+ via PayPal BNPL on Mindtrip can earn 5,000 points worth around $50.
Porter Airlines now offers automatic rebooking when flights get disrupted
Porter Airlines has teamed up with Hopper Technology Solutions to launch Delay and Cancellation Assistance, an optional add-on that kicks in when a flight is disrupted by more than two hours or cancelled within 24 hours of departure. HTS monitors flights in real time, notifies affected passengers, and automatically surfaces rebooking options on any airline — up to a covered maximum cost. If none of the alternatives work, passengers get a full refund while keeping their original booking. The product is live on flyporter.com, is dynamically priced, and operates independently of Canada’s standard Air Passenger Protection Regulations.
Ferry travel finally gets its AI moment, inside ChatGPT
Direct Ferries has launched a search and discovery experience inside ChatGPT, making its inventory of 4,000+ routes across 300+ operators searchable through natural conversation for the first time. Built on an MCP server and OpenAI enterprise infrastructure, it covers everything from short island hops to intercontinental crossings — filling a gap that flights and rail have long had covered in AI platforms but ferry travel hasn’t. Users can explore routes and get live pricing within ChatGPT, then click through to Direct Ferries to complete the booking. The same infrastructure will also be available to B2B partners via Direct Ferries Connect.
