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Why the older guy-meet-young techies thing worked for Rome2rio
Interviewing Rod Cuthbert, CEO of Rome2rio, and Michael Cameron, one of the two co-founders of the multi-modal search site is like watching a ping pong match in action – Cuthbert incidentally was a...
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“Wildlife, not entertainers” campaign targets TripAdvisor and online travel...
The World Animal Protection organisation is on a mission to get online travel companies behind its “Wildlife, not entertainers” campaign, specifically the battle to stop elephant rides for tourists...
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Letter from Macau: Will they still come? Taking a bet on the future
My first impression on entering Macau after two years away is it’s still being built – it was exactly the same impression I had from the last visit as well. The airport is being built, Cotai Strip is...
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Letter from Tokyo: Subtle changes speak of a deeper shift
For the last eight years, I’ve been visiting Tokyo pretty regularly – more so after visa restrictions for Malaysians (and the rest of South-east Asia) were lifted a couple of years ago. But it’s only...
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Letter from Matsumoto: Post-WIT, the struggles of Japan’s family businesses...
A three-hour ride on the Super Azusa Limited Express from Shinjuku Station takes you to the historic town of Matsumoto in Nagano Prefrecture. It’s a quiet little place where the air is fresh and the...
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Peach, China, minpaku, mobile – welcome to the changing world of North Asia
WIT Japan & North Asia closed on a high note last Friday in Tokyo with its biggest and most diverse gathering yet, with the 555 registered delegates coming from 250 companies and 11 countries,...
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Kathleen Tan returns to AirAsia: North Asia, here she comes
There’s a Chinese saying, ‘A good rest will enable you to take on a longer journey’. Today, Kathleen Tan returns to AirAsia as CEO North Asia, saying, “I feel fully rested, physically and mentally...
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Oasis Collections expands to Asia on the back of AccorHotels’ investment
Parker Stanberry, co-founder of Oasis Collections, is the first to admit he was a bit surprised when approached by AccorHotels, the French-based hotel group that is aggressively making acquisitions in...
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South Korea rising star for Hostelworld which wants to correct perceptions...
Where previously Asia was more of an inbound destination for Hostelworld Group, today it has become a strong source market for travellers and South Korea, in particular, is taking the Dublin-based...
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Making work so fun you never want to leave and how not to kill creativity
Even though it was just 8am, the canteen at Facebook’s Singapore office was pretty packed with employees having breakfast. I was a bit surprised – I had this idea that kids working at these new tech...
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Fear only the fearmongers
It’s an interesting place to be. Here we are planning for our first WIT Europe conference in London and we don’t know if by June 30, Britain will still be part of the EU depending on how the referendum...
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Anand Nadathur takes lessons from father to sharpen SilverNeedle for next...
The occasion was the launch of the first Sage Hotel in Western Perth but actually it was more significant than that for Singapore-based SilverNeedle Hospitality – it also marked the comeback of Anand...
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The making of Town Hall Hotel and the rise of a London neighbourhood
I’ve always believed in the power of collaboration and more than that, creative conflict. That often it takes two opposites, like yin and yang, to create magic. Such is the case of the story of the...
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Letter from London: Brexit aftermath and an Icelandic moment that united
Twenty four hours in London, and it’s rather surreal. On the surface, it seems nothing’s changed since my last visit a month ago, yet so much has. I can sense the shock and disbelief that it’s come to...
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Under Brexit cloud, travel leaders share experiences of Asia
The timing of the first WIT Europe in London held yesterday could not have happened at a more poignant time in the city’s history and travel industry leaders, while grappling with uncertainty, agreed...
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Developing your playbook for Asia – nuances matter, people critical
Travel insiders from Asia picked social, mobile and content as the new opportunities for Asia. As with entry into any new markets, you’ve got to develop the right playbook. The fundamentals may be...
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The game that got everyone fired up and someone fired – it’s 20 years in the...
How can a game that’s not even launched in Singapore get everyone talking about it, fighting to get downloads of it before its official release and even someone fired in Singapore? Pokemon GO, the...
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How a corporate hippie is reimagining George Town heritage + hotels
The day I went to check out the Jawi Peranakan Mansion, Chris Ong’s newest boutique hotel in Penang, a Chinese family of about 12, with young kids, were checking in. They had booked on Expedia, were...
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Letter from Bethnal Green: Discovering a new hood, and the street art of...
I have to confess that I never thought I’d ever write a letter from Bethnal Green – because, prior to last month, I didn’t even really know where it was and the name had only been on the periphery of...
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Accor’s Issenberg talks Fairmont, culture and content
For a man who’s spent the past seven months leading the integration of a US$3 billion acquisition, involving 115 hotels across 40 countries, Michael Issenberg, the chairman of AccorHotels Asia Pacific,...
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