The investment comes as Klook marks its 10th anniversary, setting its sights on scaling up operations across the Asia-Pacific region and beyond while tapping into the growing market of younger, experience-driven travelers
This fresh capital will accelerate the development of the Barcelona-based company’s proprietary AI algorithms, designed to seamlessly sync trip components, personalize recommendations, optimize pricing strategies, and automate itinerary creation
With an ambitious goal of integrating up to 5,000 Indian homes into its network within the first year, HomeExchange is set to revolutionize the travel landscape by offering an annual membership fee of just ₹7,500, the lowest worldwide
Global shared mobility platform Bolt reported a significant increase of 103 percent in airport rides throughout Thailand in 2024.
Pakistan Travel Mart 2025 is slated to open on 31st January and will run till 2nd February at the Expo Centre in Karachi.
Singapore-headquartered zero commission ride platform TADA announced the beta launch of its ride services in Hong Kong today, 12th December.
Innovative online travel platform KKday announced that it has raised about $70 million in funding, marking a significant milestone in the company’s global expansion strategy.
Natural Language Processing (NLP) startup Aiello just announced its partnership with Millennium Hotels and Resorts (MHR).
ANA Future Frontier Fund LP, the corporate venture capital fund of ANA Holdings Inc, announced its investment in Tokyo-based artificial
Speakers at this year’s Tourism Innovation Summit (TIS) recently discussed the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) in the tourism sector and European regulations related to its use.
Travel technology firm TravelAI.com announced that its applied use of AI is already delivering returns for 2024.
Over 500 global travel leaders convened in Singapore on Monday, 14th October, for the annual Web in Travel (WiT) conference.
Truely announced that it just completed a US$3.5 million round of financing led by 1982 Ventures with participation from Beenext, and Kopital Ventures.
Aiello announced today, 2nd October, the successful completion of its latest US$5 million funding round.
DHL named TUX mobility the winner of its latest Fast Forward Challenge, citing it for developing the world’s first solar-powered, self-charging, light electric cargo vehicle.
Indonesia launched a new programme for enhancing communication among investors, policymakers and local authorities called the Indonesia Tourism Investor Club
Asian travel cashback app azgo reports that it already hit its ambitious growth targets for the year since it launched in February.
Vacasa’s $30 million funding boost will drive a major business transformation, enhancing local operations and adapting to evolving market demands.
Amid a resurgence in travel technology funding, this investment will accelerate FLYR’s efforts to modernize reservation systems and enhance digital experiences for global airlines and hospitality brands
Following a trend of renewed investment in travel tech, Faye raises funding to expand operations and enhance its travel insurance platform
Uber is strengthening its travel offering with the launch of Uber Reserve at several major airports in the UK. The
Tech start-up, Byway, dedicated to combating travel’s impact on the climate by simplifying flight-free travel, raises concerns over the Department For Travel’s proposal to remove train Wi-Fi as part of cost-cutting measures.
Uber has announced a new UK feature which allows users to book flights directly in the Uber app. The new
With over 500% growth in just six months, wndr is a travel start-up that is making waves in the industry. The company is on a mission to democratize the power of mega-booking brands among influencers, giving them the ability to launch their own personalized booking platform and monetize their trust and expertise. This is a revolutionary approach to travel booking that is shaking up the industry and bringing a new era of entrepreneurship to the field.
Love is in the air again as Valentine’s Day is fast approaching and this year, Uber is bringing love to
Thai digital media outlet The Thaiger is launching a new start-up technology pitch event ‘The Thaiger Cage’ on 16th January 2023 at the Conrad Bangkok.
South Korean travel tech startup, Globaleur, has raised US$ 2.5 million in their pre-series A round and recently completed setting
Japan’s cross-border payment start-up TakeMe has announced a total of JPY260 million (USD1.8 million) funding. The round was led by
A wave of layoffs has swept across the globe as companies struggle with slower business growth and rising labour costs.
The ubiquitous taxi service still wants you to get from A to B but in a new way. Customers will
As OOOs start to wind down for the summer and 2023 planning looms on the horizon, businesses are thinking of
KKday has announced it will be aggressively expanding its footprint in Vietnam, and driving over 100 million USD for Vietnam’s
FWD Group has announced a unique distribution partnership with Klook to launch a fully integrated accident cover insurance that will
Journey Beyond is focussed on bringing Australia’s unique an iconic experiences to life, with experiential tourism experiences
Airbnb strives to be a place where anyone can belong and feel safe while travelling. One strength is in the
Driven by tech innovation, changes in traveller behaviour and an inversion from transactional to relational interactions between brands and consumers, the membership economy is helping hospitality providers face uncertainty in the travel landscape.
A new start-up company wndr is revolutionizing the travel discovery experience by focusing on short-form TikTok style videos, targeting Millennials and GenZ. wndr is focusing on bringing a new income stream to video creators from commissions on bookings. wndr is already available in most of the largest and most traveled cities in the United States, making big waves on social media.
Implementing the latest hotel technology solutions to optimise operations is essential for a hotel’s success in today’s dynamic and competitive market
As tourism destinations in the Middle East are widening their appeal and extending their offerings to attract FDI, global ministers of tourism convened at the 2022 Middle East Tourism Investment Summit on the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) Global Stage
Qatar Airways has entered the metaverse by launching QVerse, a novel virtual reality (VR) experience for visitors to the airline’s website
RedDoorz has announced the latest addition to its multi-brand portfolio with the launch of Urbanview, an affordable yet smart accommodation solution in Indonesia.
Tourism and hospitality is not only about hotels, airlines and travel agents – it is about the myriad of small businesses that support the industry, adding to the variety and local colour in each destination. Rachel O’Shea and Susie Martin, founders of the Laos Buffalo Dairy, are examples of just that.
Minu has only been in the tourism industry since 2016, entering with a background as a business analyst and strategist, and a passion for travel. Her first role in tourism was with the Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, where her manager took a chance on her, with no background in tourism, but with enthusiasm and a strategic approach. She worked on several different projects for RAK Tourism, including as Project Manager for the World’s longest zipline.
New Zealand-based technology company that specialises in innovative cloud-based solutions that simplify hospitality operations STAAH has partnered with UK-based hoo – an innovative new dot-com that is putting hotels first
CWT, the Business-to-Business-for-Employees (B2B4E) travel management platform, and AI predictive analytics company ZYTLYN Technologies have embarked on a pilot initiative
Airbnb, the online short-term rental platform, is giving away a free one-year stay in a newly renovated property in Sicily’s small rural village of Sambuca.
Uber Boat by Thames Clippers is building the UK’s first hybrid high speed passenger ferries, set to launch in London in autumn 2022 and spring 2023.
Even though going on holiday involves a few extra steps thanks to the pandemic, travel is quickly getting back into business – and most Brits can’t wait to start exploring the world again!
Traveltech for Scotland has launched a free online course to help tourism and hospitality businesses find and use the right digital technologies
Klook and ZA Tech Global Limited (“ZA Tech”), the technology venture founded by ZA International and backed by Softbank’s Vision Fund 1, has announced a joint venture (JV) that will accelerate the availability and accessibility of travel-related insurance to consumers across the globe.
Andrew Bate, CEO of Safely, talks about how continued uncertainty around travel restrictions and high vacation rental demand will impact travel choices this year
International travel tech platform, Vacaay, continues its rise with another critical hire, industry veteran David Ryan.
Travel Forward, the global event for travel technology co-located with WTM London, has revealed the line-up for this year’s conference programme which features one of the travel industry’s most exciting start-up competitions
Mark Rizzuto, CEO of Sydney-based technology platform Livn talks about the rapid changes taking place within this untapped vertical and how Livn is facilitating improvement in back-end technologies
The top factors for Brits choosing a designation for their long-awaited post-COVID vacation are weather (45%), location on the green list (44%), cheap flights (42%) and a good exchange rate (33%),
Indian hospitality start-up OYO found a new godfather as reports claimed that software giant Microsoft is in advanced talks to buy some stakes in the budget hotel chain ahead of its impending public offering.
Members of Confederation of Hospitality, Technology and Tourism Industry (CHATT) recently met with G Kishan Reddy, minister for tourism and culture and offered strong support to the Ministry’s work to revive tourism
UNWTO has partnered with MUST Travel & Tech to place a digital tool at the service of tourism, allowing users to share their experiences to promote the reactivation of travel
Sabre and BYHOURS have signed a new agreement to provide Sabre’s agency community with relevant content that will allow them to sell rooms by the hour through the BYHOURS’ Sabre Red App
Pioneering marketplace for short stays, Smarter opens the doors of London’s most lavish and outstanding homes, whilst offering sustainable travel solutions and an eco-forward experience.
Australian-owned travel tech platform, Vacaay, has added industry stalwart Tristan Freedman to its team as Regional Director as the company continues to grow its global presence.
With duty of care firmly front of mind for business travel managers planning post-pandemic travel, a new platform gives them the latest information and tools they need to respond to the current climate and ensure client safety.
New travel app, Flytinary, aims to provide a one-stop travel experience which takes the legwork out of arranging trips and gets its users amazing prices.
Didi Chuxing has started its registration process for drivers in Cape Town, South Africa, and will begin offering ride-hailing services this fall to people in the country’s second-largest city.
One of the latest partnerships for the benefit of the tourism market is the collaboration between Juniper and Hotelmize
Southeast Asian ride-hailing giant Grab is considering entering the United States stock market this year, according to Reuters citing sources familiar with the matter.
Online travel company Trivago has acquired weekengo and weekend.com, a start-up focused on finding travellers inspirational getaway packages
Domestic trips in rural locations are driving leisure demand recovery.
Early-stage funding rounds (comprising Seed and Series A funding rounds) dominated the venture capital (VC) funding landscape during the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2020 in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region.
Bravely defying the misery of the Covid-19 calamity, some startups have managed to not just survive but literally thrive and ride the waves of 2020. We bring you a list of these startups and how they managed to weather the storm
FareUpThere is the world’s first app dedicated to collecting and sharing 100% authenticated airline journey reviews.
Emphasis on digital innovation to position Africa’s tourism attractions will be a key component of The Ubuntu: Africa Invites You To Live campaign, developed by ATREVIA that has won UNWTO support
Grab and Marriott International have announced a wide-ranging strategic partnership that will see both companies integrating their offerings.
American Express Global Business Travel (GBT) has acquired 30SecondsToFly, a technology start-up specialising in artificial intelligence (AI) and messaging for business travel
The Additional Director General of the India Ministry of Tourism, Ms. Rupinder Brar, said that technology will be a game-changer for the travel start-up industry and government is ready to support new ideas and collaborate with start-ups.
With the travel industry under threat and the off-peak season looming, the travel platform behind the ‘daycation’ trend is pioneering an innovative way to breathe life into empty hotels: turning hotel rooms into flexible offices that people can work in for the day.
eCommerce giant Alibaba will reportedly invest USD3 billion in Southeast Asian ride-hailing giant Grab.
Omio has launched a new campaign to support tourism in one of the hardest COVID-hit European travel destinations, Bergamo, in northern Italy
The global tourism industry is estimated to lose between USD1.2 and 2.2 trillion (1.5-2.8% of global GDP) due to the coronavirus pandemic. And, Travel companies are seeking innovative ways to protect their revenues and profits
Didi Chuxing or branded as “DiDi” has launched its ride-hailing services in Russia, its first Eurasian market.
Despite of being hit hard and being brought to a complete standstill by the ongoing pandemic, there are start-ups that are holding strong and raising fresh round of investments, too
US-based startup DigiVerv, an AI company with its India office in Bengaluru, recently launched its new offering nexpera.ai – an AI and IoT powered enterprise SaaS platform that aims at providing consistent and cost-effective delivery of services in the hotel industry for the post-pandemic world
Boat rental app Click&Boat has acquired its main competitor Nautal or n°2 in the European market.
As tourism players find a way to stay afloat, travel tech platform LokaLocal is using virtual reality technology to transform
When the global Coronavirus crisis broke out, many Israelis came together to think of technological solutions to fight the virus and restore life to normal.
It is expected there will be a rise in the number of domestic tourists participating in adventure tourism such as
The COVID-19 pandemic is a health crisis that no one anticipated and it devastated many industries, especially the travel sector.
As the travel industry gradually recovers from the impact imposed on it by the global COVID-19 pandemic, UpStay, a startup
Europe’s leading multi-modal travel booking platform Omio is reigniting travel by launching a new online resource to help travellers easily
Start-up holiday destination search engine inspiremyholiday.com has ramped up its commercial team in expectation of a surge of business once
Klook Home offers almost 200 home-based experiences such as do-it-yourself craft and cooking kits, online workshops, and free virtual tours.
Singapore-based travel tech start-up, iko.travel, is providing a solution to the industry during some of its darkest days in generations
Didi Chuxing (DiDi) will be rolling out a comprehensive in-app Health-Guard program to its Latin American markets to help better protect the health of driver partners and passengers.
Beonprice has announced that it will reinvent its revenue management system (RMS) to integrate consumer traveller trends, and destination demand
Grab Philippines partnered with the Department of Agriculture (DA) to support the livelihood of farmers and entrepreneurs as well as to bring convenience to consumers in obtaining fresh produce.
Ride-hailing giant Uber has made an offer to buy Grubhub, which is currently valued at USD4.5 billion, with the intention for the latter to be absorbed into Uber’s operation.
COVID-19 has hit tourism hard with fledgling projects losing support from large companies or being cancelled indefinitely. In order to
Ride-hailing giant Uber lost USD2.9 billion in the first quarter due to the coronavirus pandemic.
GrabMart is the company’s newest on-demand grocery service which allows users to shop thru the app and have them delivered on their doorstep.
On 30 April, DiDi has resumed its ride-hailing services, including taxi-hailing, private-car hailing, Hitch, and Designated Driving, in Wuhan, China.
Newly-launched travel tech platform Vacaay has named Anthony Gallagher, previous owner of Australia’s Vacations and Travel Magazine (V&T), as the company’s general manager.
Didi Chuxing (“DiDi”) has announced its three-year strategic goals that showed a shift from an “all-in-safety” strategy to achieving sustainable, high-quality growth through longer-term safety capacity building and a renewed focus on user value growth.
In light with the development of COVID-19 health crisis, Airbnb has announced several key initiatives and policies, including USD250 million USD to help accommodation hosts impacted by COVID-19-related cancellations.
Hotelmize, developer of AI-based price prediction and profit-optimisation technologies for the hotel booking industry, is raising its B round investment
Despite the uncertainty clouding the industry, consumers have flocked to Vacaay’s fun and innovative travel discovery platform to plan their holidays in advance.
In the face of an unprecedented challenge, the UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), with the support of the World Health
Airbnb is making adjustments to its refund policy in an attempt to balance the needs of hosts and guests on
New travel technology brand Leading Yachts of the World has opened offices in key strategic markets Bangkok, Phuket, Singapore and
Click&Boat has acquired Scansail, one of its main competitors in German-speaking markets. The German company will continue to operate as a separate brand, based in its current HQ in Hamburg.
Crowne Plaza Greater Noida, a leading business hotel in Delhi NCR, has announced the launch of the world’s first hotel
AirAsia Santan has joined hands with Grab Thailand to deliver its five most-talked about in-flight offerings, including Boba Milk Tea
Ride-hailing companies worldwide are having a moment recently. With investments poured into companies to fuel growth and expansion as well as drivers’ fear of coronavirus.
It would have been the deal of the century if it happened, much bigger when Grab acquired Uber’s business in Southeast Asia in 2018, but Indonesia’s unicorn Gojek was quick to deny rumours of merger with another Southeast Asian unicorn Grab.
All Nippon Airways (ANA), Japan’s largest airline, will test autonomous RakuRo mobility assistance solutions at Tokyo Narita International Airport from
Ride-hailing company Didi Chuxing (“DiDi”) has announced that it will launch its ridesharing services in Sydney, New South Wales, on 16 March.
Hong Kong-based Connexus Travel (formally known as Swire Travel), one of the largest corporate travel businesses in Greater China, has
It should come as no surprise that even as we enter the new decade, industries such as retail and travel
Budapest Airport and Kiwi.com – an online travel technology company – have joined forces to create an initiative to transform
The UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and Basque Culinary Center have joined forces again for the second edition of the
Travis Kalanick, the co-founder of Uber, is among the backers of a new hotel start-up Habitas that makes 3D-printed hotels.
H2O, which stands for Hospitality 2.0, has raised USD7 million in Series B funding from Samsung Ventures, Stonebridge Ventures, IMM Investment and Shinhan Capital, bringing its total raised funds to USD18 million.
Southeast Asian tech giant Grab has announced its acquisition of robo-advisory startup Bento Invest in order to expand its financial services.
British Airways is exclusively trialling an automated cocktail maker in its San Francisco and Newark lounges. Cocktails are dispensed in
Didi Chuxing (“DiDi”) is taking new actions to support doctors, communities and drivers as China continues to fight the coronavirus outbreak (2019-nCoV) in Wuhan through the following efforts.
With a mission to make it easier for everyone to experience the world, Booking.com announced the opening of applications for
Following the success of the first three editions of Travel Tech Middle East (TTME), Verve Management is hosting the 4th
Accor has announced a new strategic partnership between its new lifestyle loyalty programme, ALL- Accor Live Limitless and South East
Jet2.com and Jet2holidays has partnered with WeSwap to offer customers a prepaid contactless global travel money card and help organise
Wego, the online travel marketplace in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), revealed that the bookings to Azerbaijan have
VLeisure, the technology company and booking platform for hotels, airlines and travel insurance, announced that VLeisure Operating System (VOS) is
Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT), the global travel management specialist, has announced the launch of its flagship platform, myCWT, in China
OYO has scaled back its growth and has fired around 600 of its 12,000 China employees and 1,200 India employees.
The UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), in association with Globalia, a tourism group in Spain and Latin America, has selected
Spanish-based Beonprice has announced closure of a Series A funding round of EUR 2.5 million (USD 2.78 million) with venture
The Direct Booking Summit: Bangkok taking place on 19-20 February has announced a world-class line up of speakers who will
The theme for South East Asia’s largest tech conference, Techsauce Global Summit has just been announced. Techsauce Global Summit’s ‘Festival
Newborn travel metasearch firm atta Inc. announced the successful completion of its Series A funding of USD 3 million, today.
After a tumultuous 2019 ending with former CEO and co-founder Travis Kalanick cutting ties with the company, Uber welcomed the New Year with a bang confirming the official close of the previously announced acquisition of Careem for USD 3.1 billion.
Halla Travel and Blue Odysea are the winners of the Travel Tech 4 Good start-up initiative for the tourism sector
Single apps for all travel needs, passport free travel and mobile app check-in are the top three ‘new travel norms’
DragonPass, a Chinese company operating high-end business lounges at airports and high-speed railway stations, announced it has obtained an undisclosed
TravelFlan, a Hong Kong-based chatbot provider for the travel industry, has recently received USD 7 million in its A round
Booking platform Traveloka has partnered with the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) to encourage tourists to discover more of Singapore’s hidden
The Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) has ordered Grab to refund a total of PHP 16.15 million (USD 319,000) to its users.
Indian ride-sharing firm Ola signed up 10,000 drivers ahead of its launch in London.
Ride hailing giant Gojek is nearing an agreement to buy 5% of Indonesia’s top taxi operator PT Blue Bird.
Singapore-based e-scooter start-up Neuron Mobility has closed an USD 18.5 million in Series A funding round aiming to expand in international markets.
After disrupting the billion-dollar hotel industry, Airbnb is slowly straying away from its roots of listing private houses and rooms to becoming more of a hotel company.
Ride hailing giant Grab has announced the launch of digital and physical numberless payments card GrabPay Card in partnership with Mastercard.
Singapore-based smart mobility start-up Ministry of Movement has received a USD 10.1 million from its Series A funding round to grow and expand overseas.
Airbnb Experiences has launched a brand new category of bookable experiences – Cooking. This has allowed people to have access to recipes and culinary traditions that were once reserved for family and friends.
Indian start-up superstar Oyo has received a nod from its board for a USD 1.5 billion investment from Softbank and RA Hospitality.
For the third time, Indonesian ride-hailing unicorn Gojek has reapplied to enter the Philippine market and to face off its greatest rival in the Southeast Asian region – Grab.
Most of us remember travelling with family or friends, travel trends are changing: in recent years, more people have embraced solo travel to satisfy the desire for alone time.
China’s Didi Chuxing will trial a premium ride-hailing service in Japan offering luxurious vehicles like Tesla, Lexus and Mercedes Benz vehicles.
B: Live, an eco-tourism start-up which has pioneered the concept of electric vehicle (EV) tourism in India has launched its
Amadeus is expanding Amadeus Ventures to help travel tech start-ups in APAC starting 2020.
Uber may have created the concept of ride-hailing, but it seems that it is trailing behind its Asian counterparts when it comes to growth. In recent months, Uber has been mirroring the strategies of Grab and Go-Jek – the two super apps in Southeast Asia.
Travelio, an Indonesia-based start-up that aims to disrupt the real estate sector, has raised USD 18 million in a series B funding round co-led by Temasek subsidiary Pavilion Capital and China’s Gobi Partners.
Invited as a friend of the European run, Thai based global start-up iZZi guide, who were presenting their plans to evolve the world of destination management to the PGAT membership that evening and host the prize draw, I was keen to find out why Thailand’s leading tour guide association had given the new company its seal of approval when they have denied such a meaningful commendation to other organisations.
Tiqets announced its series C financing of USD 60 million led by Airbnb with continued support from prior lead investors
The tour guide is an essential cog in the travel industry. And it is through their enthusiasm and specialist knowledge of a destination, and all the wonderful possibilities that can be found therein, that can turn a holiday or mundane business trip into a fond memory that will last a lifetime. Izzi guide…
Booking.com has launched its on-demand ride-hailing service in partnership with Grab, giving the online travel agency (OTA) app users access
Duffel, the British travel tech company, has raised USD 30 million from investors to launch its innovative new booking platform
The tourism industry is ever-changing and we have seen some ground-breaking innovations in the space such as the use of robots in airports and the inception of Internet of Things in hotels that automate everything. However, very little innovation can be seen on tour guides.
A new partnership between Avis and Bidroom for Central Europe provides Avis Preferred members an exclusive one-year-free membership for the
Travel Startups Incubator (TSI) has announced a one-day Travel Technology Investment Symposium, on 8 January 2020 in Miami at the
With a history of delivering personalised messaging on hotel websites, Triptease has now unveiled a tool which will deliver personalisation
Tencent, a leading provider of internet value added services in China, has announced its collaboration with YESMILANO, the official promotional
Global travel brand JTB Business Travel has teamed up with travel data and analytics expert, Cirium, to offer its clients
The growing sports tourism sector took centre stage at the Global Tourism Economy Forum in Macau, SAR with the first
RedDoorz has announced it is well on its way to becoming top dog in Singapore with the announcement that it
The number of Russian tourists travelling to the UAE increased more than 55% in the second quarter of 2019, compared
MakeMyTrip has signed an agreement with travel platform major TripAdvisor to offer choices for local experiences at international destinations to
OYO Hotels and Homes will be raising USD 1.5 billion as part of a latest round of funding which will
In this exclusive interview, Hotelmize CEO Dor Krubiner talks about the company’s beginnings, the state of tech in the travel industry, and how the technology works for tour operators and travel agencies.
A new app is being launched in Portsmouth to help people with limited mobility plan their travel routes with ease.
Dayuse.com, daytime hotel booking platforms has announced that it is launching a new taxi campaign to raise brand awareness. Running
Wego, the largest online travel marketplace in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), has collaborated with Azerbaijan Tourism Board
Booking platform Airbnb has now unveiled Airbnb Animal Experiences – a brand new category of Airbnb Experiences that allow people
The Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office has announced that 10 innovative start-ups from across the Mekong Region will compete in the
Challenged with the self-appointed task of revolutionising the way commission and incentives are managed by airlines and travel agents (TAs); Avian is a startup on a mission to drag the complex and convoluted process kicking and screaming into the future, with the application of some 21st-century smarts, deep data and machine learning.
Wego, online travel marketplace in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), released its study which covered the cost of
FCM Travel Solutions, a global travel management company (TMC), has made it easier for clients to take advantage of Southeast-Asia’s
If you have been living under a rock and is oblivious to what happened to WeWork’s controversial IPO, let us jog the timeline of events.
Skyscanner has launched a global brand refresh and has announced hitting the significant milestone of 100 million peak monthly active
The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), in partnership with Asian Development Bank (ADB) Ventures and Plug and Play, have announced
Indonesian unicorn Go-Jek has secured an unspecified amount from insurance firm AIA Indonesia as part of its ongoing Series F funding round. The investment also comes with strategic partnership between the two companies.
Hong Kong-based travel destination platform Klook has partnered with West Japan Railway (JR West). Through the partnership, travellers across all
More and more UAE nationals and residents prefer staycations, even during the hottest months. Crunching three-months’ worth of numbers from
Ride-hailing company Lyft’s latest venture is rental-car business that it is currently testing in three California markets – San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Oakland.
Bidroom, a no-commission membership-based hotel platform, is looking to expand its portfolio within the Asia Pacific region. Launched in 2014
The UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has joined Globalia, a tourism group in Spain and Latin America, to launch the
Online travel agency Ctrip has signed a strategic co-operation agreement with Morocco’s National Tourism Office to boost Chinese tourism to
Alipay, digital payment platform operated by Ant Financial Services Group (Alibaba Group) and Fliggy, Alibaba’s travel services platform, announced a
Most of the European capitals witnessed an increase in the hotel prices in September 2019, with Berlin recording the sharpest
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), a non-profit membership association for acting as a
WebBeds, B2B accommodation provider, has penned a major new agreement to promote Macao to the travel trade in Indonesia, as
Bedbank Hotelbeds has announced a partnership with Luxair Luxembourg Airlines, the flag carrier of Luxembourg that carries almost two million
This week, ride-hailing giants from the east are rolling out new services to propel their growth, while their western counterparts are suffering losses since going public.
Low-cost carrier has unveiled its first ticket office to provide city check-in service. From now on, customers of the airline
China-based ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing plans to roll out self-driving vehicles in a district of Shanghai city. The company also aims to expand the scheme outside China by 2021.
OYO Hotels & Homes has announced that it has acquired Danamica, a Copenhagen-based data science company, with machine learning and
Every once in a while, a disruptive platform or app comes along that changes everything in travel. TourDragon gets local tour operators to bid live in a reverse auction for the first time in history of travel industry.
Sources claimed that Amazon is reportedly in talks with Go-Jek for a plausible investment. This move could bolster the presence of the e-commerce giant in Southeast Asia.
Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT) and Grab signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that will promote sustainable tourism.
ixigo has partnered with India’s e-commerce market leader Flipkart to introduce an enhanced and native flight booking experience. Through this
Airbnb has become a popular alternative to expensive hotels for a day of “staycation”. Philippines’ Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) is turning to Airbnbs as the new source of additional revenue.
HomeAway, holiday home rental company, announced the launch of virtual tours in Bali. First launched in the US in November
OYO Hotels & Homes hosted its first Partner Advisory Council meeting in Delhi under the aegis of OYO Partner Engagement
Cozystay, a technology-first, accommodation group with a growing portfolio of hotels, vacation rentals, and resorts under management, announced that it
ProfitSword, developer of business intelligence software and data integration services in the hospitality industry, has announced the implementation of its
Singapore’s digital healthcare provider WhiteCoat has partnered with Grab to enhance its medication delivery services via GrabExpress, the on-demand, door-to-door courier and parcel delivery service.
Wirecard, the global innovation company for digital financial technology and OYO, the hospitality business chain, have announced that they are
Uber rival in Europe Bolt, formerly known as Taxify, has entered the already-crowded field of food delivery.
Indian regulator Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved the acquisition of 42.5% of outstanding voting shares in MakeMyTrip by
OYO Vacation Homes, vacation rental companies in Europe, has announced it will hire at least 1.000 employees in Europe by
Singapore-based hotel start-up RedDoorz has raised USD 70 million from investors, including Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten.
Musafir.com has unveiled a state-of-the-art corporate booking tool designed to streamline the relationship between the travel website and its corporate
Mafengwo, China-based travel information site, announced its entry into the Japanese market. Listing about 10 million travel content a month,
Holiday Extras, the UK-based company with a focus on travel extras such as airport parking, transfers and travel insurance –
YES Bank has partnered with Travel Money, the foreign exchange brand of FCM Travel, to provide highly secure digital payment
As the next step in its continuing support for Qantas’ New Distribution Capability, including the Qantas Distribution Platform (QDP), Travelport
Highlighting its key business focus of creating new demand avenues across platforms, self-drive car rental and subscription platform, Zoomcar has
TFest, a new event concept from Private Luxury Events, is expected to lure over 500 of the world’s most influential
OYO Hotels & Homes has announced a first-of-its-kind offering for its customers, — complimentary insurance cover for guests as part
Sonoma County Tourism recently launched its first-ever training platform that will certify travel professionals as Sonoma County destination experts. Created
Nature, beaches, food and drink, landmarks and culture are the five top global reasons to travel, according to new research
Airline Vietjet, Grab and Swift247, a startup providing super express air delivery service, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU)
Ctrip has announced a strategic partnership with Sicily that promises to bring a bigger share of the world’s largest outbound
Research, by apartment provider Cuckooz, has revealed some of the extortionate room service meal prices at London hotels. The report
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is collaborating with 24 Thai start-ups to break into the Nordic market under a
Travel data aggregator and itinerary intelligence company Traxo and DVI, data visualisation solution provider for corporate travel management, announced a
IndiGo has partnered with global travel fare aggregator websites and travel metasearch engines Skyscanner. The integration, powered by a global
Global chauffeur and airport concierge service Blacklane will open two US offices this fall. The New York and Los Angeles
Mobile and cloud technology provider for the corporate travel industry, Deem, has announced the launch of its first virtual payment
According to the latest data compiled by Expedia Group from the second quarter of 2019, the number of travellers visiting
Etihad Guest, the award-winning loyalty programme of Etihad Airways, has signed a frequent flyer programme agreement with Booking.com, which enables
Travelport announced that it is actively working with multiple airlines and partners to offer Next Generation Storefront (NGS) capability. NGS
Bedbank company Hotelbeds has announced a double-digit increase in room night sales for the Balearic Islands, with more than 30%
Online travel agency (OTA) MakeMyTrip (MMT) has narrowed its adjusted operating loss for the first quarter of 2020 by USD
TripAdvisor has announced a new sponsorship opportunity exclusively for tourism organisations intent on driving increased engagement of their content within
The UK-based boat hire platform, Click&Boat, has acquired its competitor Océans Evasion. The acquisition comes on the back of EUR
Indonesia-based unicorn Traveloka is reportedly looking to raise USD 500 million funding to fuel its expansion in the region. The latest funding round will close in two months and could raise the company valuation as much as USD 4.5 billion.
China’s popular social media platform WeChat has made in-flight mobile payment possible by post-landing settlement. WeChat Pay has rolled out
Travellers in China are used to frequent flight delays, leaving holidaymakers with disrupted itineraries and business travellers missing appointments with
Online travel agency (OTA) Musafir.com has announced that it is on track to achieve a 30% year-on-year growth in their
Dallas-based travel data aggregator and itinerary intelligence firm Traxo, has announced a new partnership with Europe’s airline easyJet. With employees
Airbnb has added a new feature to make it easier for business travellers to search for work-friendly lodgings that will fit their needs.
Solidifying its position as one of the world’s leading meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) destinations, Dubai has retained its
Airport transfers are becoming easier by the day as German low-cost airline and a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Lufthansa Group,
The US-based supplier of on-demand software and e-commerce services to the insurance, healthcare, financial and e-learning industries, Ebix has acquired
Indonesian start-up superstar Go-Jek has announced that global payment technology provider Visa is the latest investor to back its ongoing Series F funding round.
Online travel agency MakeMyTrip (MMT) is ramping up its offerings in the corporate travel segment through acquisitions. As a part
Chinese travel website Mafengwo has unveiled a new category of road trips and 12 classic itineraries for destinations in China
Global online marketplace for airport transfers, Jayride Group has announced that it has completed the foundation phase of its global
In a push to promote India as a heritage tourism destination, MakeMyTrip has signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with
Grab has announced the launch of its Order at Table (OAT) product that enhances travellers’ dine-in experiences at full-service airport restaurants within the US and UK through a seamless ordering experience available through a web application on the guest’s phone.
Europe is becoming a top destination for Indian travellers during monsoons. There has been a surge in bookings for Europe
Southeast Asia’s hotel management and booking platform, RedDoorz announced it will reach 1 million occupied room nights by December 2019,
More women are heading out of their comfort zone and seek high-octane adventures that provide an opportunity to develop new skills and passions.
Airbnb Plus, an up-market tier of homestay rentals platform Airbnb, has had a more than six-fold increase in summer bookings
Cheap flights and accommodation don’t necessarily mean a cheap holiday; varying prices of everyday local expenses are playing a far
Japan’s largest airline, All Nippon Airways (ANA) has announced that it will begin using the Mototok Spacer 8600 high-tech remote-controlled
The world received its first dynamic booking engine, aimed squarely at the Muslim travel market, with the launch of Rihaala.com
There are many different reasons people choose to travel – whether that’s for a relaxing break, to visit a bucket-list
GUARDHOG, the pay-per-stay home-sharing insurance specialist has come to the rescue of the burgeoning peer-to-peer accommodation sector by launching deposit
Hospitality rockstar Oyo Hotels and Homes has launched its services in the newest darling of Southeast Asia – Vietnam. The start-up also announced that it will invest USD 50 million for its expansion in the country.
WebBeds, the world’s second largest business-to-business (B2B) accommodation provider, has announced the signing of two landmark partnership agreements that are
Ruby Hotels has announced that its seventh hotel, Ruby Leni, is now officially open in Dusseldorf’s central district. With a
Bedbank company, Hotelbeds has announced an ambitious plan to increase the number of travel agent customers affiliated to the bedbank
Hong Kong-based Shangri-La Group announced it has earned the global certification of Ctrip’s new China Preferred Hotel Program (CPH). The
Inspired by the latest Spiderman movie, Klook highlights the best of London, Venice and Prague retracing the footsteps of Peter Parker.
Transit travellers in Singapore can now enjoy travel protection with the enhanced Tiq Travel Insurance by Etiqa. The digital-first insurer
A survey of over 200 UK holidaymakers by Holiday Hypermarket has revealed that over 40% of those surveyed had yet
This week, WeChat and City of Helsinki launched a mini program for Chinese tourists. Meanwhile, a company called Nuvola introduced facial recognition for the hospitality sector.
Airbnb has launched Airbnb Luxe — a new luxury experience that makes personal and bespoke travel more accessible to everyone.
With summer break just beginning, many students are looking for deals on summer travel. Students are finding that this summer’s
A new report from UK-based travel search engine momondo, based on a survey of over 7,300 adults from across the
VacationRenter is a metasearch for all vacation rentals. The company brings all the rental options from the leading travel sites together in one place and showcase only the best results.
OYO Hotels & Homes, India’s largest hotel chain in the budget and mid-market segment, and the world’s sixth largest and
Spain-based global bedbank Hotelbeds has launched the Chinese version of hotel extranet MaxiRoom. It is designed to control and maximise
In a bid to boost the growing tourism industry in the state. EaseMyTrip has introduced customised travel benefits for Kerala-bound
Dohop, the innovative Icelandic flight booking and connection platform, has appointed Discover the World as its global sales partner as
After reporting a year-on-year de-growth of 4.4% in domestic passenger traffic in April 2019, the first after six years of
MakeMyTrip has released its Summer and Monsoon Travel Trends Report indicating a notable increase in the number of Indians travelling
Customers who tried to book have taken to Instagram and Twitter to complain about being charged for vacations they were ultimately denied.
One of the ASEAN region’s youngest entrepreneurs, KIDLetCoin CEO and co-founder, 10-year-old Kaede Takenaka, spoke about blockchain and cryptocurrencies at
ixigo has conducted a study that revealed travel trends of Indians and how they have changed in the past three
Jayride’s global rollout is now in its final stages with the company announcing it has launched transport services at more
Hotelbeds has announced a preferred partnership agreement with HotelRunner, a sales channel management platform and B2B network for OTAs and
This week, we turn our attention to ride-hailing companies that are taking over the world. From GoJek launching their social media accounts to Grab’s cancellation fines and to Uber’s JUMP V2, which is safer and easier to handle.
Within a span of 18 months, OYO is now the second largest hotel chain in China boasting 450,000 rooms in 10,000 OYO hotels present in 320 cities. The fast-growing hospitality start-up is valued at USD 5 billion.
Airbnb unveils Airbnb Adventures – an expansion of Airbnb Experiences that includes the incredible opportunity for daring guests to channel their inner Phileas Fogg and travel around the world in 80 days.
The US-based student and youth travel booking website StudentUniverse has announced the brand’s continued global growth as it now launches
Bedbank player Hotelbeds has released details of the audience surveys conducted at its recent MarketHub Americas and Europe events held
Uber Eats has announced that it will begin testing the first-ever commercial application of drone food delivery in high-density urban areas.
Hotel representation, sales, marketing and distribution providers, HotelREZ, celebrated its 15th anniversary by announcing a 33% annual growth, some 23%
You can now enjoy a six-day Galapagos Slow Food Safari, experience the wonders of Oman or camp on a cliff
As we progress further into the 21st century, and the world we live in incorporates more technology to make our
With one of its 300 aircraft taking off from somewhere in the world every 90 seconds, British Airways runs a
Ride-hailing giant Go-Jek turned to another Indian start-up to further its growth. The company announced that it has acquired AirCTO, a recruitment platform based in Gurgaon.
This week, three new players enter the travel tech field and will battle it out in the space with the old timers.
Online travel aggregator EaseMyTrip.com has now expanded its footprint by entering the UK market. In its pursuit of adding itineraries
Ride-hailing giant Grab has launched a co-branded credit card in the Philippines in partnership with Citi.
Bolt, formerly-known transportation platform Taxify, has launched in London and has offered half-price promotion, promising lower fares for passengers as well as more take-home pay for drivers. Bolt will introduce improved safety for Londoners and bring much-needed competition to on-demand transport.
Buses are the preferred form of inter-provincial transportation in Cambodia. The same can be said for most countries in Southeast Asia. Backed with his decade of experience in the ICT industry, Chea created hassle-free ticketing platform for Bus/Taxi/Ferry.
Flying ride-hailing cars may no longer be a thing in the future as Uber plans to debut its Uber Air service sooner than later.
Community-driven hospitality company, Airbnb has announced the launch of its latest marketing campaign ‘That’s Why We Airbnb’. Narrating the stories
Move and give way! Zara Khanna is on her way to conquer the travel tech industry with travel chatbot Octa that helps kids and parents find cool things to do and epic places to visit when travelling.
GetYourGuide has raised USD 484 million in its Series E funding to conquer the USD 183 billion experiences industry. As the global market for tours and activities grows in an unprecedented rate, GetYourGuide is out in the prowl to seize the opportunity.
OYO founder and CEO Ritesh Agarwal has announced at the Skift Forum that OYO and China’s OTA juggernaut Ctrip formed a strategic partnership.
Qantas has revealed that it secretly put up first class seats for sale on Airbnb for as low as USD 20. However, these flights can only be redeemed only with Qantas points.
Queensland, Australia paired with Uber and launched scUber, the world’s first rideshare submarine experience, coming to the Great Barrier Reef.
Ride-hailing company Grab is making strides in the travel sector. After it debuted its hotel booking feature, the app has launched an itinerary-based transport service.
Ride-hailing giant Uber has added an option in its premium ride service Uber Black that tells the driver to shut up and drive during the trip.
Fairbnb is a new start-up in the quad that allows you to rent your home to guests and will collect 15% commission on bookings. Where that commission will go sets the two start-ups apart. In Fairbnb, half of the money will go into the local community where that unit is based.
Start-up Mint House, Airbnb-style for business travellers, raised USD 15 million in Series A funding led by Revolution Ventures.
Booking.com has announced the sustainable tourism startups receiving scaling grants as part of its 2019 Booking Booster accelerator program today. Now in its third year, the three-week accelerator program consists of a series of lectures, hands-on workshops and coaching sessions led entirely by Booking.com employees and experts.
Ride-hailing company Go-Jek has seen a slight decline in passengers as the Indonesian government enforced a new tariff increase for app-based motorcycle taxis.
It is super cost-friendly to travel with a baby, with flight tickets for babies costing only 10% of the adult fare. Contrary to popular belief, travelling with babies is not a painstaking experience (as long as you carry sufficient diapers and snacks).
I first saw the orange scooters parked right outside Park Regis Singapore when I stayed there. Now, it will be seen cruising the streets of Bangkok.
WishTrip helps destinations shape the tourist experience and helps them become SMART tourist destinations.
“If you can’t find a way, create one!” This is probably what motivates a former travel agent who has seen the lapses in the industry processes and created technology to fill in the void. Traveknowledgy CEO and founder Maxim Sevastianov has been in the travel industry for years and is passionate about automation and making things easier.
Marking another milestone in Go-Jek and Grab’s intense competition, the two dove into the travel space by launching their respective hotel booking sites through their apps.
Travel activity platform GetYourGuide has raised EUR 500 million from investors led by Japanese conglomerate Softbank.
Ride-hailing company Grab has announced its new hotel booking feature along with other three in-app services.
Indonesian unicorn Go-Jek quietly introduced Go-Mall, a new feature that allows users to browse and shop for various items from electronics to groceries through the app.
If we compare the travel industry to the Amazon jungle, I think of Google as the crocodile or anaconda, the ferocious predator on top of the food chain patiently waiting to ambush its prey, in this case the OTAs. Meanwhile, I think of super apps as the piranhas lurking in the water – smaller in size but equally deadly.
There is no denying that Traveloka is one of the most successful start-ups in Southeast Asia being one of the first unicorns in the region.
Indonesian unicorns Go-Jek and Traveloka are reportedly thinking of holding an IPO, which could be the first for Indonesia Stock Exchange.
Fresh from receiving a significant investment from Airbnb, Indian unicorn Oyo has struck a joint venture with Softbank Corp. to launch a hotel business in Japan.
The most visited property listed on Airbnb is not a castle or a luxury place, but a small cabin in the woods of California.
Ride-railing firm Grab Philippines offers a water delivery service in water-deprived city of Marikina.
Airbnb has long been a threat to hotel companies as it offers cheaper accommodation. The start-up also enables hosts to earn money by opening their homes to travellers.
Grab is the first ride-hailing platform that is giving banks a run for their money. The Singapore-based start-up has announced new fintech features focusing on SME micro-loans and insurtech that proved to be popular in Southeast Asia.
Philippine’s Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has denied the application of ride-hailing Go-Jek to enter the Philippine market.
Singapore-based budget hotel operator RedDoorz is raising up to USD 50 million for its Series B financing round.
Yes, Grab is unstoppable as it just added another USD 1.5 billion in its stash by raising USD 1.46 billion from SoftBank’s USD 100 billion Vision Fund.
Go-Jek cares for the welfare of its drivers in Singapore as it partners with local start-up Doctor Anywhere.
Lyft has pulled ahead of Uber after it went public before its rival. While Uber’s paperwork has yet to become public, it would eventually go public. Despite being valued for more than a hundred billion dollars, experts compare investing in the companies a pure gamble.
AirAsia has permanently withdrawn all of its flights from online travel agent Traveloka after AirAsia’s Indonesia flights disappeared on the platform for the second time in two weeks, according to the company statement.
Indonesian unicorn Go-Jek will try to penetrate the Philippine market again after reports claimed that one of the country’s oldest conglomerates Ayala Corporation will partner with the ride-hailing giant.
Starting 11 March, Grab users can cancel rides for free within five minutes after booking.
Chinese car-sharing start-up Like Chuxing reportedly has secured “tens of millions” of dollars for its series B+ round of financing from a group of investors including Ant Financial, the fintech unit of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba.
After China, Indonesia and Malaysia; OYO is now spreading its wings further east into Japan.
Klook has announced its appointment of Wilfred Fan as chief commercial officer. Fan was previously Agoda’s VP global partnership.
Grab is not yet done as the ride-hailing app Grab has plans to expand into business ranging from health care to insurance to video streaming through big partnerships and raised funding.
Anywhr and ATO Tours are two companies that are continents apart, but are sending travellers on surprise trips.
It has been almost a year since the merger between Grab and Uber shook the ride-hailing market in Southeast Asia. After the deal, Grab became the top dog in Asia.
Hero Traveler founder and CEO Joseph Anthony saw an opportunity to develop the first travel-focused social media application and website.
Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing has invested USD 100 million in Indian unicorn Oyo Hotels & Homes. This brings Oyo’s total financing close to USD 1 billion.
Storytelling is a must for destination marketing. Knowing the story of a place is one thing, but communicating it to an audience is another – a major thing for travel companies.
Airbnb is breaking into the travel market as the company just hired the founding head of Virgin America Fred Reid as global head of transportation.
Go-Jek has announced that it had received series F funding from Alphabet Inc.’s Google, Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com Inc. and China-based conglomerate Tencent Holdings, with Mitsubishi Corp. and Provident Capital joining as investors.
Grab added Netflix-like video-on-demand service HOOQ into its core ride-hailing app. The company, which is valued at USD 11 billion and raising a USD 5 billion round, already offers a range of services, including food delivery, payments, grocery delivery, travel deals and more. Now, it is expanding its services to entertainment.
Solo travellers face risks for they are alone during the trip, especially at the time of emergencies.
Singapore-based business travel start-up Travelstop is launching in seven markets including Indonesia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea and Vietnam.
For TripClub CEO and founder Menchie Dizon, women deserve to have both worlds so she created a program that will enable women to work and take care of their personal affairs. As a woman, she understands the need of a woman to work flexibly.
This week we saw numerous travel tech start-ups receive millions of funding from different funding rounds. Start-ups rely on investments to foster growth.
Finding a job has never been this easy for both job seekers and employers. Singapore-based GrabJobs is making a fuss in the recruitment scene with their interview chatbot technology.
Indonesian unicorn Go-Jek has opened its app to passengers in Singapore after it hits a roadblock in the Philippines.
Abhas Desai, co-founder of Taxidio Travel India— a DIY travel planner shares his thoughts on travel startups in India and what’s in store for them in 2019.
Mergers, acquisitions, and billion-dollar funding rounds — so much have happened in 2018 and so I’ve thought of compiling them into one bite-sized piece.
75% of Millennials rely on Wikipedia or Google as their source of information, but these are not designed for sightseeing. So how does one filter the information especially while in a new place?
A report has surfaced that the Indonesian travel tech unicorn Traveloka has long acquired some of its rivals in Southeast Asia through a Singapore-based shell company named Jet Tech Innovation Ventures Pte Ltd.
Dubbed as the most-anticipated IPO filing, Uber and Lyft generated excitement among investors with their news about going public.
G Adventures, a small group adventure travel operator offering more than 700 tours in 100 countries, announced the acquisition of UK-based youth travel specialist, TruTravels.
Personalisation is key in the hospitality sector and we are increasingly seeing new tech developments facilitate the service-heavy industry and how.
One of the major challenges for start-ups is how to take the business to the next level and foster growth. The two common reasons why start-ups fail are lack of funding and lack of direction.
Asia and the Pacific is a massive market and a fertile ground for travel start-ups.
So what can the travel industry realistically hope to gain from blockchain technology in the decade to come? Matt Baer, founder and CEO of KeyoCoin, the universal travel rewards platform shares his thoughts in his words.
We speak to Calum Evans, CEO and founder of Gay Passport, a gay influencer agency that allows hotels to gain exposure in gay audiences by providing quality vetted visit proposals from leading influencers.
We talk to David Gabriele, founder and CEO of Swayy, on the challenges of creating a disruptive tech company and how he turned frustration into an innovative platform.
Through data gathered by Statista, the card processing company, Paymentsense, has revealed the countries seeing significant growth in start-ups between 2013 and 2017.
We talk to marketing professional and Bitcoin-based entrepreneur James Tsuei about his new environment project
Ambitious new Icelandic tour operator Hidden Iceland is looking to expand its global reach by seeking out UK based travel agents in order to develop relationships and maximise the interest UK travellers have shown for the volcanic country – with 20% of Hidden Iceland’s visitors coming from the United Kingdom.
Darvin Kurniawan believes that the blockchain can democratise the hospitality industry. In the last part of our interview with the Indonesian-born, Singapore-based start-up co-founder, he explains why the time-share business model is the ‘truest’ form of the sharing economy.
We previously posted the first part of our interview with Experience Philippines founder and CEO Giancarlo ‘Gian’ Gallegos, who has made us want to round up a few companions for a Random Road Trip. The self-professed ‘serial start-up founder’ now shares how he has turned a risky proposition into a booming business.
Ho Chi Minh City-based travel tech startup Triip has announced that it has raised an undisclosed funding round from Japanese strategic investor Gaiax and Vietnamese angel investor Nguyen Duy.
We sat down with EXPH founder and CEO Giancarlo ‘Gian’ Gallegos, who explained how taking friends and strangers off the tourist grid goes beyond business:
Darvin Kurniawan, the Indonesian co-founder and CEO of Singapore-based start-up Crowdvilla, entered the alternative accommodations industry by way of blockchain-powered
Hotelchamp, another champion of the direct booking movement, stepped up in a big way announcing the integration of TrustYou, OTA Insight, Customer Alliance, LiveChat and HotJar into their platform.
We have been following RedDoorz as it scales up towards becoming the leading accommodation marketplace in Southeast Asia.
Booking.com have announced the 10 sustainable tourism start ups that will be joining the 2018 Booking Booster Programme in Amsterdam in May 2018. Building upon its successful launch in 2017, the three-week accelerator program consists of a series of lectures, hands-on workshops and coaching, culminating in a final pitch to receive a scaling grant of up to €500k from Booking.com’s €2 million fund in order to help support the next stage of the start ups’ projected growth.
Andres Fabris earned a finance degree from the University of Texas at Austin in the hopes of working in the finance side of the IT industry. Instead, he has spent 23 years growing, then disrupting, the travel industry: leadership roles in Sabre, World Choice Travel and Travelocity prepared him to build a web-based travel proximity alert service that would allow him to stay in touch with his classmates after finishing graduate school. This became Traxo, which is now a rising star in travel data aggregation and itinerary intelligence analysis.
BedLinker is a Vietnamese joint stock company providing technology solutions that allow hotels, travel agents and tour operators to work together. The start-up founded by Thuan Dao, whose 16-year career includes working on revenue management, e-commerce, reservations and sales for five-star properties in Vietnam like Sheraton and Vinpearl, has a growing portfolio with three products to date.
India’s largest online travel services provider, MakeMyTrip Ltd, formally announced that it entered an agreement with award-winning budget hospitality company
We sat down with Travelspice co-founder and CFO Ankit Manglik for a short chat on the success of its opaque booking format, its future plans, and why its team chose “Kitney Mein Chahiye?” as its tagline.
Group trip organisers and business travellers in multinational organisations can now breathe easier thanks to a new platform where they can plan multi-origin group travel for face-to-face meetings.
Anywhr, an opaque bespoke tour booking start-up under the National University of Singapore’s NUS Enterprise programme, operates on the belief that “travel is more than just recycling itineraries.”
DayBreakHotels, a Rome-based travel tech start-up launched by Simon Botto, Flavio Del Greco, Lorenzo Stabile and Michele Spadone in 2013, recently caught the attention of Hotel Jumpstart, the accelerator programme organised by Expedia Affiliate Network (EAN) and Hotels.com in collaboration with Traveltech Lab, for helping three- to five-star hotels maximise their accommodation and occupancy levels while reaching out to business, leisure, and “bleisure” travellers.
UpsellGuru, based in Germany with a satellite office in Malaysia, has become a favourite of boutique chains and independent brands in the luxury side of hospitality for this reason. Launched in May 2016, it is currently the only pre-arrival up-selling management system on the market that allows guests to bid on – as opposed to simply avail – room upgrades and add-on services.
Twins & former vacation rental hosts Amiad & Koby Soto realised the need for an all-in-one technological solution to manage & automate logistics in Guesty.
We sat down with Tink Labs founder and CEO Terence Kwok to learn why this sharp-eyed Hong Kong native and his product have both reached rock-star status in the hospitality and tourism scene.
Tripkada, the Philippine curated trip-joining start-up platform, launched its joiner app for iOS, gave stakeholder updates and revealed its expansion plans.
We recently touched base with Valéry Linÿer, CEO and founder of MagicStay, to show us how a rental platform dedicated to business travellers holds its own.
Miami brings the heat into the US travel tech scene as LAB Miami Ventures announces its shortlist of startups for its first annual Future of Travel summit.
Five companies recently pitched for Hotel Jumpstart, a mentorship-driven accelerator programme to support the most innovative travel tech startups.
Felix Lee Zheng De looks like any other Singaporean engineering student: lanky, bespectacled, wearing jeans and trainers, raring to go
India remains a favourite of global travellers for its natural beauty and impressive architecture. So how do we explain the
