Are You a 'Leftover' Woman? And are You Self-Critical? Read on.....
Is the universe telling me something or what? On the flight to Bangkok to open our second WITX event and I am reading the IHT and what should I come across but two articles that speak directly to the topic of how women are redefining not ju... |
Online is Yesterday, Mobile is Today, Declares TripAdvisor's Bruno.
Online is yesterday and mobile is today, says Julio Bruno, global vice president of sales, TripAdvisor for Business, as the world’s largest review site, which recently crossed 100 million reviews, lays down the gauntlet to own the customer ... |
Frustration of a Hotel Owner Led to CheckInTonight.
Mark Southby, the founder of CheckInTonight, the newly-launched same-day hotel booking system for South-east Asia, became aware of the challenges of distribution when he was running three boutique hotels in Phnom Penh |
Rise of Social Loyalty Programmes.
BalticMiles Brainstorm recognised for innovation, Red Carpet Service from AirAsia X, real-time flight availability from Bangkok Airways, new airport for Medan |
Don't Be a Grumpy Traveller, Be a Happy One - Follow These Vacation Rules.
You’ve met Rod Cuthbert, the travel entrepreneur, the founder of Viator and currently the interim chairman of Rome2Rio; now meet Rod Cuthbert, the author |
E-commerce in Indonesia: Is the Princess Waking Up?
This is a guest blog by Minh Bui, a Founder Institute mentor, who travelled through Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam to explore the e-commerce landscape |
The Internet, a Retailer's Best Friend, If You Know How to Use It.
Just completed the book 'The Little Bookstore at Big Stone Gap' and I think it should be compulsory reading for every retailer – whether you’re selling travel, books, music or anything that’s been commoditized by the Internet |
From Hyper-Local to Boutique Family Breaks, Mr & Mrs Smith Makes Its Call.
From the local-on-arrival revolution to concierge apps and spa pampering for guys, Mr & Mrs Smith predicts 10 of the top boutique hotel and travel trends to look out for in 2013 |
A Story About Paper and Chickens – There is a Point.
I was reading an article the other day about development work being done on a tablet that looks and feels like paper, and I couldn’t help but think, isn’t it interesting – the more advanced we get, the more we yearn for simple, or the way i... |
Skin in the Game' Critical to Etihad's Quest for Global Growth.
Equity partnerships - skin in the game - is the way forward for Etihad as it builds a road map towards global growth based on building a hub, brand and profitability |
Five Ideas for a Digital World.
We don’t need digital ideas, we need ideas for a digital world, according to James Sowden, Engagement Planning Director and David Webster, Digital Business Development Director of BBHAsia Pacific, at the Alpha Terra Marketing Conference in ... |
A Mixed Outlook for 2013 But Watch the Rise of the Affluent in China.
So assuming we all live past December 21, 2012, the big question on everyone’s lips is, what will 2013 be like? It’d be a no-brainer to say 'mixed' because that’d cover all eventualities |
How Hotel ICON Turned a Possible Negative Into a 'Hotel with Purpose'.
When Hotel ICON was in the initial stages of planning, it was wary of the negative connotations that could be attached to a hotel that is owned by a school |
Etihad, Cathay See Technology As Key to Owning the Customer.
Many things were said by airline executives speaking at the two-day CAPA World Aviation Summit 2012 in Hong Kong this week but one clear message resonated with me – full service carriers are investing in technology to own the customer in ev... |
Postcard from Myanmar - The Genie is out of the Bottle.
Being bullish on Myanmar is a cliché these days, however, I thought I'd share some notes from a recent trip to Yangon—it’s a good conversation starter at the very least |
Exit chat with Yilmaz: Mobile’s HUGE and Online's Confusing – So Take Care of the Basics First.
The biggest change that Ali Yilmaz, the former head of travel for Google South-east Asia has seen in his 19 months in the role, is how big mobile has become as a channel for travel |
Shower me with your Talent and Passion, Jakarta.
I think the shower in my room at Hotel Mulia Senayan is a good representation of the Indonesian travel market, Honest |
Creating Content: Lessons from Hollywood.
I’ve always been fascinated by Hollywood and filmmaking because despite its glamour, beautiful people, and larger than life personas, movies wouldn’t get made without a whole lot of tech geeks |
Customer Experience, Ancillaries Among Challenges Sabre's Trying To Solve.
For 15 years, Theo Panagiotoulias worked on the airline side of the fence, spending most of his career with American Airlines |
Booking Travel Is As Easy As www These Days.
Whether it’s booking hotels or apartments or flights, it’s become so easy for anyone to do so with confidence and the customer is really in control |
Taiwan: A Change is Gonna Come.
I recently returned from Taipei, love the city and its street life – a quirky mix of Chinese and Japanese flavours – and it made me realize it’s the only market in North Asia now that doesn’t have a home-based low cost carrier |
How Social Media can be a Loaded Weapon and Why Coaching is Needed.
As I write this, I am on the way to Seoul where social media's just made a phenomenal star out of a slightly overweight Korean rapper who probably didn’t even forsee that his horse-like dance move on YouTube would become the sensation it ha... |
Letter from Seoul: A Land of High Status and Fast Connectivity.
I think I’ve still got garlic on my breath from my 36-hour whiz biz trip to Seoul |
Technology Makes Remote Journeys More Accessible, But Less Unplugged
Crees runs journeys that are as unplugged as they come; her company, Gyalthang Eco Travel, takes people to remote regions of the Tibetan Plateau and places that are off the beaten track |
China Goes Into Overdrive as Price War Erupts and New Players Sprout.
If, at times, I felt like a rabbit caught in the headlights of an oncoming car last week in Shanghai, I think it was not just due to gazillion-watt spotlights trained on the stage but also the overwhelming universe of change that is China’s... |
On the Wings of Social Media, Spring Aims to Soar.
Given the proven power of social media in driving its brand awareness in China, Spring Airlines is hoping to replicate that success globally as it expands international flights to 20% of route network |
Airlines Go Low Cost, Hotels Go Luxury – Will the Twain Meet?
At the HSMAI Asia Connect held Wednesday in Singapore, one thing that stood out is the disconnect between what’s going on in hotel development and aviation |
Google's Beating OTAs at their Game; Tingo's Challenging Yield Management
Following the proven success of its partnerships with Google’s Hotel Finder and Room Key, hotel central reservation system (CRS) vendor Trust International is looking for similar opportunities to leverage on the proliferation of online book... |
Dynamics Shifting in OTA-Hotelier Relationship as APAC Market Matures.
The ongoing battle between hoteliers and third party intermediaries over control of inventory and the customer is set to become more complex as a massive influx of supply and changes in consumer behaviour converge to transform the hotel lan... |
Travelmob Wants to Change the Way People Travel in Asia.
In the world of new social stay start-up, Travelmob, everyone in Asia can be a host and tour guide and co-founder Turochas Fuad believes this will unlock the kind of local experiences desired by a growing breed of travellers coming to the r... |
Bad News, Mass Stupefaction of Content. Good News, More Efficiencies.
'Do you mind? I just have to respond to this,' said Richard Quest as I prepared to sit down and ask him my first question |
The Man Who Wants to put Humaneity in Travel.
The first time Mark Philpott’s life changed was when he was working for DHL in Belgium, he was watching a local TV programme about an athlete who had been badly injured and would no longer be able to compete again |
New Players Giving New Spin to the Term 'Accommodation'.
Talking to my hotelier friends in Asia, I am amazed by how many of them are still unaware of players like Airbnb and 9flats and not to mention, the rest that came along in the new wave of businesses offering different styles of accommodatio... |
People Power: How to be a Talent Magnet in the Travel Industry.
A person who is attracted to a career in the travel industry is surely an adventurer; naturally inquisitive, they want to travel as much as possible, even vicariously through others |
Unplugged 480: An Experiment in Survival. Are you Game?
When my god-daughter was undertaking a 40-hour famine at her college in Adelaide to raise awareness of world hunger, she was asked to give up two out of three things – food, furniture and technology |
How to Get that Dream Job and Build a Career with Purpose.
One of the most common refrains I heard from tourism professionals who attended the WITNext Summercamp was, I wished there’d been an event like this when I was just starting out in my career |
Fogel: OTAs are About More Than Price and It's a Myth That Hotels Do Not Like Us.
Ahead of his participation in the 2012 China Travel Distribution Summit, Glenn D Fogel, Head of Worldwide Strategy and Planning for Priceline, shares with Travel Daily China the group's plans for Asia Pacific and his take of the future land... |
The World of Short-Term Rentals, Flash Sales and Chicken Wing Optimisation.
In China, you do whatever works – even if it’s 'chicken wing optimization', Yeoh Siew Hoon follows the discussion on travel opportunities at Echelon 2012, which was focused on flash sales and the short-term rental space |
Old People Like iPads, Women like Cute.
My mind's still buzzing with tech talk from Echelon 2012, the tech start-up event for Asia, so before I lose attention – boy, it’s hard these days when attention has been commoditized and mine’s down to a supergnat’s – here’s a summary of w... |
It's Time for Tourism in ASEAN to Grow Up.
Willem Niemeijer, CEO and co-founder of the Khiri Travel Group, Thailand shares his thoughts on the direction the ASEAN tourism industry should take to realise its full potential |
What Travel Agents and Start-Ups Could Learn from Each Other.
As the travel agency business gets more complicated and competitive, the winners will be the ones who care about productivity and are focused on the end traveler experience and, dare I add, the vision to embrace technology and recognise wha... |
Why It's Not Always About Fixing the Problem.
The more I learn about what women want, the more I am convinced that OTAs and a lot of travel websites are missing a vital point in their business model |
Treat Women Like the Angels They Are.
Emilie Couton, director of hotel solutions for Accor Asia Pacific, started her presentation by asking the audience if they felt women were more like angels or devils as customers |
Women, Want to Get to the Top? Here are Some Tips.
One message came out loud and clear at WITX-Women In Travel which was held in Bangkok last Friday – women have to put up their hands and be seen and heard if they want to rise to leadership positions in travel companies |
Roomorama's Lofty Goal to Become 'Expedia' of Short-Term Accommodation.
Roomorama, which merged with Lofty earlier in a deal which also brought seed funding of more then US$2 million, aims to be the biggest online marketplace for professionally-managed properties by year end |
What does it take to make the world a better place? Passion, determination and tough love.
People tell me I have the attention span of a gnat; these days, I think it’s down to that of a mini-gnat, our minds flit from thing to thing as fast as our hands flick from devices to devices |
Lots of People, Bad Traffic, No Road Rules and this Investor Is In.
Following his exit from Qunar, Fritz Demopoulos has set up his own investment fund, Queen’s Road Capital and he has one simple rule when it comes to making bets |
It's a Man's World. Not Online It Isn't.
The internet entered our life in a suit; complete with a tie, top hat and waistcoat, and appearing as though it would be very comfortable on Wall Street |
Who Says Innovation Has to Happen in a Garage?
Even though he himself developed his idea in one, Dr Ravi Mehrotra, president and co-founder of revenue solutions company IDeaS, believes it’s a myth that innovation can only happen in a garage |
The Best Ideas Are Collaborative; We Learnt This In A Classroom.
It’s been a while since I sat in a classroom for more than an hour but last Saturday, I found myself sitting for four hours at an SMU (Singapore Management University) World Travel & Tourism Class – and guess what, the time just flew |
Here's How We Do It At Scoot, says 'Chief Cash Cow'.
Proving that customers are motived by low fares, Scoot, Singapore’s new low cost airline, sold 30,000 seats in less than a week after it announced S$88 fares for its launch flights to Sydney |
