The WiT Podcast: Recent Episodes
WiT
The WiT Podcast, hosted by Yeoh Siew Hoon, shines the light on the travel industry as it undergoes its biggest crisis with the outbreak of COVID-19. It features conversations with travel industry leaders about how they are surviving the storm, and offers ideas and insights, on how to recover and emerge stronger.
This WiT Podcast exclusive is part of our “Conversations on Turning 20” series.
If you’ve ever wondered what happens when a tech-loving realist runs one of Asia’s biggest travel platforms through a decade of seismic change, tune in to the latest WiT Podcast with Omri Morgenshtern, CEO of Agoda. As Agoda turns 20 and Omri celebrates 10 years with the company, we sat down for a wide-ranging conversation in Singapore to reflect on the past and gaze boldly into the future.
On this week's episode, our AI hosts discuss current trends and opportunities within the tourism and hospitality sectors, based on a couple of reports that were highlighted last week on the Web In Travel website. One report by Booking.com spotlights Singapore-based travellers' growing awareness of tourism's social and environmental impact, indicating a preference for supporting local communities and a desire for better infrastructure to manage tourism's challenges rather than limiting visitor numbers.
Another report by Mabrian examines the Middle Eastern hospitality market, emphasising the need for strategic development in mid-range hotel options and a realignment of guest expectations with different hotel categories to improve competitiveness and attract broader international tourism.
We're trying something new with our weekly-ish podcast - we're outsourcing it to Artificial Intelligence. This is both an experiment and, if we're being honest, a convenient way to digest the top articles of the week from the WiT website into a nugget-of-a-podcast. We'll release a new episode every other Monday as a way to catch-up with last week's biggest news and articles from the WiT website.
On this week's episode, sports tourism's economic potential is explored via Expedia Group's latest study, highlighting strategies for businesses to capitalise on this market by understanding traveller behavior and preferences, such as offering appealing packages and experiences.
Data-driven insights from Expedia and practical advice for marketing and engaging with sports tourists are also presented, while the impact of tourism on local economies and development is examined with a focus on creating sustainable and beneficial relationships between tourism and host communities.
We're trying something new with our weekly-ish podcast - we're outsourcing it to Artificial Intelligence. This is both an experiment and, if we're being honest, a convenient way to digest the top articles of the week from the WiT website into a nugget-of-a-podcast. We'll release a new episode every other Monday as a way to catch-up with last week's biggest news and articles from the WiT website.
On this episode, we address current shifts and future concerns within the global and regional travel industries. One piece examines the potential impact of new US tariffs on Asian travel, considering both negative consequences and the possibility of increased intra-Asia travel as a buffer.
Another report highlights the rapid growth of Saudi Arabia's online travel agency market, detailing key players and significant increases in booking volumes for both air and hotel sectors. Finally, the International Air Transport Association provides data on global passenger demand for February 2025, noting a slight overall increase but also regional variations and concerns about North American markets.
The airline industry has long been on a journey toward personalisation, but few have embraced the power of AI and technology as strategically as SAS. Caroline Bergstroem, Head of Ancillary Products, Connectivity, and Retail at SAS, is leading the charge to create a seamless, one-stop-shop experience for passengers.
Bergstroem envisions a world where travellers no longer have to juggle multiple platforms to book flights, hotels, car rentals, and experiences. Instead, SAS aims to provide an integrated ecosystem where everything can be arranged in one place.
On the season finale of Future Lanes, a special WiT podcast series powered by Meili, Bergstroem shares insights on how AI, data analytics, and self-service are shaping the airline's future.
“Future Lanes” is a special WiT Podcast series powered by Meili, a tech company that is rewriting the rules of ancillary distribution. The series, covering six episodes, is all about getting direct – cutting through the noise with unfiltered conversations on what’s shaping the next decade of travel. No fluff – just straight, feisty talk about what it takes to find your future lane in travel.
On this episode, our (AI) hosts discuss significant shifts in the travel industry, particularly focusing on the impact of artificial intelligence and the evolving landscape of online travel agencies (OTAs). AI is portrayed as a transformative force, changing how travellers discover destinations, handle bookings, and expect personalised experiences, presenting both opportunities for startups and threats to traditional suppliers.
The adoption of digital payment solutions like Alipay+ is highlighted as a key enabler for tourism, improving the visitor experience in regions like Malaysia. The OTA market in the UAE is experiencing double-digit growth, with specific companies leading in air and hotel bookings due to strategic advantages. Finally, we revisit WiT Africa and how the African travel market is a a unique space for innovation, where local knowledge and technology will drive its distinct development, despite facing challenges like payment fragmentation and global competition.
In the fast-evolving world of travel technology, few voices resonate as deeply as Timothy O’Neil-Dunne, an aviation enthusiast with decades of experience in travel tech innovation, who believes that “technical debt” is holding back the travel industry from truly realising the potential of revolutionary tools like AI.
To him, travel businesses face the daunting task of modernizing or risk becoming obsolete.
“Future Lanes” is a special WiT Podcast series powered by Meili, a tech company that is rewriting the rules of ancillary distribution. The series, covering six episodes, is all about getting direct – cutting through the noise with unfiltered conversations on what’s shaping the next decade of travel. No fluff – just straight, feisty talk about what it takes to find your future lane in travel.
This episode discusses the rising trend of blended travel in the Asia-Pacific region, where professionals increasingly combine business trips with leisure, prioritising flexibility and personal enrichment. Then, our AI hosts examine the fragmented but growing short-term rental market in APAC, highlighting regulatory complexities, the impact of trends like "set-jetting," and the increasing role of technology and professionalisation. Finally, a third segment profiles HeyMax, a Singaporean fintech startup that enables users to earn travel miles on everyday spending, aiming to disrupt traditional loyalty programs and make travel more accessible.
We're trying something new with our weekly-ish podcast - we're outsourcing it to Artificial Intelligence. This is both an experiment and, if we're being honest, a convenient way to digest the top articles of the week from the WiT website into a nugget-of-a-podcast. We'll release a new episode every other Monday as a way to catch-up with last week's biggest news and articles from the WiT website.
The travel industry is constantly evolving, and few airlines have been as relentless in shaping the low-cost carrier model as Ryanair. In a no-holds-barred conversation on the “Future Lanes” podcast, Ryanair CEO Eddie Wilson shares his candid views on everything from direct distribution to leveraging technology for a more efficient airline experience.
“Future Lanes” is a special WiT Podcast series powered by Meili, a tech company that is rewriting the rules of ancillary distribution. The series, covering six episodes, is all about getting direct – cutting through the noise with unfiltered conversations on what’s shaping the next decade of travel. No fluff – just straight, feisty talk about what it takes to find your future lane in travel.
On this week's episode, Trip.com's "Momentum 2025" report highlights key travel trends for Singaporeans, including food-focused tourism, media-inspired destinations, cruise popularity, and entertainment-driven trips, emphasising social media's influence. Expedia's "Air Hacks Report" debunks common air travel myths, revealing optimal booking times, travel days, and dispelling notions about summer costs, premium fares, and crowded flights.
Then, we cover how OAG's Filip Filipov discussed the need for a more customer-centric connected trip experience, advocating for data sharing and AI to enhance personalization and overall journey support. Filipov highlights the transformative potential of AI, particularly OpenAI's Operator, for revolutionising the travel agent role and loyalty programs.
We're trying something new with our weekly-ish podcast - we're outsourcing it to Artificial Intelligence. This is both an experiment and, if we're being honest, a convenient way to digest the top articles of the week from the WiT website into a nugget-of-a-podcast. We'll release a new episode every other Monday as a way to catch-up with last week's biggest news and articles from the WiT website.
“Exclusivity can sometimes limit customer choice and push operators into suboptimal business decisions. Today, partnerships that prioritize mutual benefits and customer-centric solutions are the way forward.” – Michel Taride
Michel Taride began his career at Hertz in 1980, a time when car rental operations were a far cry from today’s tech-savvy landscape. Hertz was among the first car rental companies to launch a website, paving the way for real-time bookings and greater transparency. Today, the industry stands on the brink of another revolution. These technologies, coupled with new mobility models like car sharing, ride-hailing, and autonomous vehicles, promise to transform how consumers engage with transportation.
For Mike McGearty, CEO and co-founder of Meili, the car rental industry's current challenge is modernizing its legacy systems to address the friction points that persist in customer experiences. Meili, the technology platform McGearty leads, is designed to empower service providers by streamlining direct distribution, improving data usage, and enhancing the end-to-end customer journey.
In this episode, both McGearty and Taride discuss and debate their differences, similarities, and all the ways the industry is rapidly changing.
“Future Lanes” is a special WiT Podcast series powered by Meili, a tech company that is rewriting the rules of ancillary distribution. The series, covering six episodes, is all about getting direct – cutting through the noise with unfiltered conversations on what’s shaping the next decade of travel. No fluff – just straight, feisty talk about what it takes to find your future lane in travel.
“Scale and volume help you kill smaller competitors. But ultimately, disruptive technology can always kill a giant, and we killed giants in our last business, and we're going to kill them again in this business, simply because we have a disruptive stack that is just impossible for the big guys to copy.” – Bobby Healy, Co-founder, Meili
In the competitive world of travel technology, Irish entrepreneurs, Bobby Healy and Mike McGearty, are making waves with their latest venture, Meili. Founded in Dublin in 2021, Meili is setting out to disrupt the global car rental industry by enabling direct connections between car partners and customers. Their mission? To eliminate intermediaries and deliver a seamless, frictionless car rental experience.
The startup is already live with nearly 40 customers, including airlines, train operators, hotel groups, and super-apps. By leveraging advanced AI and a proprietary tech stack, Meili is redefining ancillary distribution while building on decades of domain expertise.
“Future Lanes” is a special WiT Podcast series powered by Meili, a tech company that is rewriting the rules of ancillary distribution. The series, covering six episodes, is all about getting direct – cutting through the noise with unfiltered conversations on what’s shaping the next decade of travel. No fluff – just straight, feisty talk about what it takes to find your future lane in travel.
“For me, an airport is a runway with a supermarket attached.” – Kenny Jacobs, CEO of DAA (Dublin and Cork Airport Authority)
The travel industry is at a crossroads. As passenger demand bounces back with renewed force, airports, airlines, and ancillary service providers are rethinking how they approach customer engagement, sustainability, and digital transformation.
In this episode, WiT founder Yeoh Siew Hoon and co-host Bobby Healy, co-founder of Meili, spoke with industry veteran, Kenny Jacobs, CEO of DAA (Dublin and Cork Airport Authority) and former CMO of Ryanair.
Together, they explored the complex landscape of modern airport operations, emerging trends in airport retail, and the role of technology in transforming the passenger experience.
“Future Lanes” is a special WiT Podcast series powered by Meili, a tech company that is rewriting the rules of ancillary distribution. The series, covering six episodes, is all about getting direct – cutting through the noise with unfiltered conversations on what’s shaping the next decade of travel. No fluff – just straight, feisty talk about what it takes to find your future lane in travel.
On this week's Top of the WiT, Alipay and Fliggy reported a surge in Chinese travel spending during the Lunar New Year holiday, boosted by friendly visa policies. Sabre is working to solve airline content fragmentation and unlock the potential of AI in the travel industry. Sojern's "State of Destination Marketing 2025" report reveals that Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs) are increasing digital advertising budgets and adopting AI, particularly for content creation.
Furthermore, DMOs are shifting towards always-on campaigns and brand awareness, with social media remaining a key marketing tool. Data analysis remains a challenge for DMOs, presenting an opportunity to improve marketing effectiveness. Co-op marketing is growing, enabling DMOs to expand their reach. And more.
First, Trip.com data reveals trends in Asia-Pacific Lunar New Year travel, including longer trips, increased cross-border travel, and a rise in bookings for unique destinations and cruises. Second, a panel discussion at the ASEAN Tourism Forum examines the impact of Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) on the industry, highlighting both their benefits and challenges for hotels and travelers. Third, the successful turnaround and sale of MG Group, a B2B hospitality marketplace, is detailed, showcasing its growth strategy and focus on the Asian market. Finally, the story of Hotel Treats, a platform offering curated day experiences, illustrates its organic growth and expansion from a local Mallorca-based company to a global player.
It's all on this week's Top of the WiT.
“Slither” apparently is what snakes do. The fancier term is serpentine locomotion, also called lateral undulation – a side-to-side movement created when the snake’s body forms S-shaped loops. Yes, next week on January 29, Chinese all over the world will usher in the Year of the Wood Snake – and there are plenty of predictions out there as to what this reptile will bring us.
One almanac I came across says it “promises slow and steady development” and adds that “those who are patient, strategic and willing to embrace the Snake’s wisdom will find they can thrive by adapting to a slower pace in all aspects of life”. So even the Chinese “feng shui” masters are supporting the notion of slow travel or silent travel as some industry leaders had predicted in the Year in Review articles on our site.
At WiT Singapore in October, numerous speakers spoke of how because of this more open environment, travel brands would be able to innovate faster – be it in providing the connected trip or personalisation – setting new standards for the global market.
But clearly there are problems still to be fixed if we are to truly give our customers what they wish for or may not even know what they want, until we give it to them.
In our “Year in Review” summary, we asked industry leaders two key questions – “What’s the biggest problem the travel industry has yet to fix” and “One important trend that no one is talking about yet”.
Here’s a summary of their answers.
We're trying something new with our weekly-ish podcast this year - we're outsourcing it to Artificial Intelligence. Don't worry, our human podcast producer is still on the payroll. For now.
Jokes aside, we've relaunched Top of the WiT as a weekly digest that's purely hosted by Google's language models, specifically NotebookLM. While we've conducted this experiment a few times, the results seem to be improving and never fail to impress us.
Industry leaders in the Asia-Pacific travel sector share their insights on the year 2024 and offer predictions for 2025. Their perspectives cover key trends, including the rise of silent travel and micro-sabbaticals, the impact of AI, and the need for sustainable tourism practices. Challenges discussed include overtourism, manpower shortages, and maintaining transparency.
We also highlight Timothy O'Neil-Dunne's (Principal, T2Impact) op-ed on the evolution of the influencer economy. O'Neil-Dunne argues that the era of influencers chasing viral fame is shifting into one of strategic monetization, particularly in the travel industry. Once defined by the constant pursuit of likes and shares, the influencer landscape is evolving as creators recognize the need for sustainable revenue streams. Platforms like NaviSavi and initiatives like Expedia Travel Shops illustrate how influencers are leveraging their digital clout to go beyond fleeting virality and build tangible, monetizable assets, yes true social commerce.
Finally, the report notes a surge in air passenger and cargo demand in the Asia-Pacific region, exceeding pre-pandemic levels.
New years always begin with such anticipation while we end each year with a tinge of nostalgia, a mood of reflection and sometimes, a sigh of relief that another year is over. Well, this is it – we’re coming to the end of 2024 and as we wind down for what was yet another tumultuous year, it’s time to look back, be grateful for the good things that happened and take the bad in our stride and move onwards and upwards.
As part of our annual tradition, we asked our friends what they thought of 2024 and what they are looking forward to in the new year. Here’s the first instalment.
2024 brought both promises and challenges to the travel industry, especially around sustainability, AI, and evolving traveller behaviors. As Timothy Hughes, Vice President of Corporate Development at Agoda, reflects on the past year, he offers insights that hint at what’s ahead in 2025. From the persistent desire for leisure travel to AI's integration into the core of travel platforms, Hughes joined this special year-in-review edition of the WiT Podcast to share a vision that balances optimism with pragmatism.
Lightspeed report, from Gojek co-founder, aims at resetting expectations of founders and investors Lightspeed Venture Partners, the multi-stage venture capital firm focused on accelerating disruptive innovations and trends, has released a report on “South-east Asia: Resetting Expectations”, to give “a more realistic and focused approach” to building businesses in the region.
Disclaimer: This podcast was created with Google's AI platform, NotebookLM. These voices are completely AI-generated.
“When you live in it, you don’t see it.”My friend said this with a wry smile as she navigated the busy streets of Ho Chi Minh City. I sat beside her, wide-eyed, taking in the sweeping changes of a city I hadn't seen since 2018. I was gobsmacked by the transformation – the brand new bridges, highways, skyscrapers – and I couldn’t help exclaiming and repeating myself everytime we turned a corner into a new district, “Wow, it’s changed so much.”
Amused, she said, “I suppose you notice it because you’ve been away for so long. I live here, so it’s just grown around me, and I’ve grown into it.”
On this WiT Stories, Siew Hoon (Founder, WiT) chronicles her recent trip to Vietnam and how Ho Chi Minh City is barely recognisable since her last trip there.
Full disclosure - this is not a "real" podcast in the traditional sense of the word. Google has a new Artificial Intelligence tool called Notebook LM that allows users to feed it any type of written data, which it will then turn into a podcast. The voices you hear are completely generated by Notebook's language models.
We decided to experiment with the tool by showing it a recently article we posted on our website featuring Kerry Healy, chief commercial officer, Middle East, Africa, Turkey & Asia Pacific for Premium, Midscale & Economy, Accor, and how she's tackling rate integrity in the Middle East.
Have a listen and ask yourself - if you didn't know this was generated by AI, would you have guessed anyway?
Anti-ageing, as a branch of medicine, has been around a long time. Today, the term anti-ageing is not used much anymore because it suggests that ageing is a process we fight against. Today, the terms, wellness, longevity, regenerative, are preferred because, well, the experts say we should embrace it actively and proactively.
It’s definitely a mega, global trend among the wealthy who have more to lose... literally. Retreats like RAKxa, a joint venture between VitalLife, the preventive medicine arm of one of Bangkok’s leading hospitals, Bumrungrad, and MK Real Estate, don’t come cheap.
Stream the full story for more.
Last week, I entered Singapore sans passport. I had arrived on a flight from Bangkok and at the immigration gates, when I wanted to put my passport on the scanner, I was told, “No need already. Just look at camera.”
That’s Singapore for you, clockwork efficiency.
It made me think that this is true personalisation – my personal identity verified, recognised and cleared – and it makes my life easier as a traveller.
They put their own money into the business, one of them selling his house. Together, they scraped together $1m. By 2018, their tours and activities platform was valued at around $1b, and the business continues to grow.
It’s hard to say who’s more surprised by the achievement – Ethan Lin (CEO) or Eric Gnock Fah (President) or perhaps their parents whom they talk about openly – but one thing is clear, these two co-founders are firm friends and have each other’s backs.
It’s uncanny how well they complement each other, as you will discover in this special WiT Podcast edition, marking their 10th anniversary, with WiT founder Yeoh Siew Hoon.
In one of the most open conversations, the two founders get into some pretty personal aspects of their lives that have driven Klook to its success, and how quickly their early "lightbulb moment for Klook" went from a “phone note” to financial modelling on an Excel sheet (their banking background showing here), to growing faster than they expected when the network effect kicked in.
Have a listen.
AI, it seems, is creeping into everything. In a little café in a local neighbourhood in Penang, far from the madding tourist crowd, the young entrepreneurs running it offer “AI Fried Char Koay Teow”.
On this episode, Siew Hoon (Founder, WiT) ponders on a new-ish trend that's being called “theme travel”. New-ish because it used to be called special interest travel - people who travelled for specific interests. In this “Next Generation”, let’s call this tribe, “Themers”.
This includes runners who travel for marathons, music fans who go from festival to festival, and event-driven folks who fly across continents for experiences.
This trend somewhat overlaps or intersects with the 'Dreamers' - those who dream of finding their little nook in the world in unfamiliar lands. And oftentimes, it's more than one nook.
Stream this episode to hear more about themed travel, mouseholes and why Siew Hoon prefers to travel like a local.
This week, Siew Hoon (Founder, WiT) reflects on her recent stay in the tranquil village of Sheepstor, West Dartmoor, which also has a surprising connection to Sarawak, Malaysia. The Burrator Cottages, on the estate once owned by Sir James Brooke, the first Rajah of Sarawak, provides an idyllic retreat for travellers seeking a truly authentic experience.
Siew Hoon (Founder, WiT) is back in Shanghai for the first time since 2019, for Trip.com's global partner conference, Envision 2024. Experiencing first-hand the resurgence of China's tourism and hospitality scene, Siew Hoon highlights the cities eagerness to embrace tech, it's robust art scene and everything a revitalised Trip.com is doing to cater to fresh demographics.
Siew Hoon (Founder, WiT) returns to the Middle East for the first time since 2019 for WiT Phocuswright Middle East 2024. But what she experiences there upon landing serves as both culture shock and eye-opener to the progress the region has supercharged itself with in the last few years.
Yes, there are lots of expected – the masses of cranes; the construction going on everywhere you look; the traffic in Riyadh – but underneath all that, the unexpected open-ness, the overwhelming warmth of people, the unbridled pride of Saudis to share and show off their kingdom and the lack of guile in their conversations.
This is a story that goes beyond the warmth and hospitality of its people. Something momentous is happening in Saudi and it goes beyond the numbers, the dollars, the targets – this is nation-building, social-transformation, call it what you will, with travel and tourism as its engine.
While standing in a long queue at the café at the Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre, wondering why it doesn’t have a robotic barista because the human ones were looking rather frazzled, Siew Hoon spotted a man wearing a delegate badge that says “Black Hat Asia”.
Intrigued because she associated Black Hat with hackers (Google says “the term black hat has been used to differentiate criminal hackers from white hat and gray hat hackers”) and because she has always wanted to meet a real-life hacker, she asked him what he did for a living.
Without missing a beat, the man replied, “My company does security upskilling training in penetration testing.”
While Siew Hoon may have restrained herself from making the joke we're all thinking of, this encounter did lead to revelation at another conference next door.
Stream the episode to find out.
Author and travel writer Paul Theroux had a very simple way of describing people who travel. He divided them into tourist and traveller, saying, “Tourists don’t know where they’ve been, travellers don’t know where they’re going.”
Of course, he said this, way before social media turned travel into a mass team sport. One wonders what the scribe, who by the way has just published a new book “Burma Sahib”, would think of the many jargons we in the travel industry have come up with in recent years to describe all the different types of people who travel.
In this episode of WiT Stories, Siew Hoon (Founder, WiT) looks at some newer terms, buzzwords and jargon that has popped up in travel, while creating some of her own along the way.
This final episode of “Customer Love” fittingly covers tours and activities – the things travellers do in-destination. It’s the most exciting part of travel and it’s coming online at great speed, thanks to companies such as Booking.com which started building out their “connected trip” in 2019 and Klook which has been building up the sector in Asia Pacific for the past nine years.
We speak to two product chiefs, Austin Sheppard, Senior Vice President of Booking.com’s Trips Business Unit, and David Liu, Chief Product Officer of Klook, on the trends they are seeing, the products they are building and how they see technology such as AI and Augmented Reality changing the sector.
For David, who’d always been into tech, joining Klook in 2016 as VP of Product and UX, a year after it was founded, was a no-brainer. “I didn’t pick a startup, I picked Klook," he says during the episode, emphatically.
The founders’ passion and vision in wanting to bring experiences online and connect suppliers and travellers excited him. “I care a lot about customers, and they care about our customers as well.”
Meanwhile, Austin, quoting Booking.com’s Q3 2023 financial results, said that they “saw an increase in the percentage of transactions which we count as connected trips, meaning two or more travel components within a trip (though still small number of total transactions).
David also shared an experience about buying shoes online, which co-host Laura Houldsworth then extrapolated on, citing her own experience of an AR shoe fitting – which then led to a new idea that David said Klook would develop to ride on the growing trend of “costume dressing” among Asian travellers in destinations such as Japan and South Korea.
Have a listen for the reveal at the end.
It's news to no one that the words 'pain' and 'suffering' have negative connotations, for obvious reasons. However, many modern thinkers believe that these experiences are often intertwined with success and happiness.
Of course, for those of us in Asia, these teachings and sayings aren't new. In fact, they're ingrained in many cultures and religious beliefs in the region.
Siew Hoon (Founder, WiT) doesn't think this “pain and suffering” message is new to entrepreneurs as well. During Web in Travel Africa last week, she interviewed three travel founders to find out their tales from the edge.
One of them said, “If you’re not at one point about to go bankrupt then you can’t say you really had a startup! What’s really difficult is to hire good people, so you have to appear motivated and positive in front of them to keep them on board, while suffering quietly in the back.”
Want to find out what the other entrepreneurs had to say? Have a listen.
In this episode, Siew Hoon delves into what it means to be a happy entrepreneur, warts and all.
Aviation veteran and consultant Peter Harbison has many accolades - founder of CAPA, aviation lawyer and commentator, and of course, author. His new book, 'Alan Joyce and Qantas: The Trials and Transformation of an Australian Icon' contains all the ingredients of a corporate thriller, filled with constant shocks to the system and boardroom drama.
But despite all the corporate chaos, Peter's book tells a deeply human story - of a man at the peak of a monumental industry, navigating arguably the most turbulent years in aviation history.
In this episode, Siew Hoon (Founder, WiT) chats with Peter, whom she calls a mentor, about not only the professional trials of Alan Joyce, but the often-ignored emotional element of people in high places. As the saying goes - it's lonely at the top.
Siew Hoon also asks the serious question - why are there so few women in aviation, to which Peter responds with some honest albeit harsh truths. The two also talk about life Down Under and yet another book that Peter is currently working on.
It's all here in this special whopper of an episode.
On this episode of WiT Stories, Siew Hoon (Founder, WiT) chimes in from beautiful Cape Town, South Africa - the home and host of this year's WiT Africa.
The WiT community has gathered at Innovation City, where we are holding our first WiT Africa on 14-15 March. A heritage building that now houses Cape Town’s most vibrant and diverse community of startups, investors and corporates, it’s brimming with ideas and buzzing with passion.
The humans gathered in this space all want to make an impact – from startups working on digital identity to AI services for education and businesses, fintech and health care. It’s interesting how no matter where you are, you have humans innovating and using tech to solve similar issues.
Besides the event, Siew Hoon also chronicles the sights, sounds, people and unique wildlife that she encounters on her trip there.
Travelling is a highly physical activity – those long walks to the gates and immigration, those long queues – not easy when you are not fully mobile. Especially for the elderly - the requests for assistance pre-flight, the waits at check-in for assistance, the arrival process – and the inevitable conclusion that one day it will happen to all of us.
For Siew Hoon (Founder, WiT), seeing life through her mother’s eyes made her highly cognizant of the ageing societies of Asia. According to the Singapore government's 2023 population report, citizens aged 65 and above make up almost one-fifth of Singapore's population, up 11.7% from a decade ago.
As much fuss as there is about the Gen Z and Millennials and their current and future spending power, there’s a silent and strong undercurrent going on in the silver generation.
So how can technology address the ageing population worldwide? And is the solution, as psychologists suggest, to simply travel inside our own minds?
Narrator: Yeoh Siew Hoon
As a student, Adrienne Enggist, Senior Director of Product, Customer Experience and Platforms for Booking.com, had an epiphany, not a hallucination, when she listened to Timothy O’Leary, the late American psychologist and author known for his strong advocacy of psychedelic drugs.
He wasn’t talking about acid but of the future, she said. ““He asked us to imagine a future that’s less than 20 years away, where you can talk to anybody in the world instantly in real time without paying for long distance … and he spoke of how you could create content like Arnold Schwarzenegger with Loni Anderson's head …”
That’s when she decided “that’s the world I want to work in”. Fast forward to now and Adrienne says all the things O’Leary spoke about – it was around 1987 – have come to pass – deep fakes that you can generate with an app, for instance.
In this episode of Customer Love, hosts Yeoh Siew Hoon (Founder, WiT) and Laura Houldsworth (Managing Director & Vice President for Asia Pacific, Booking.com) speak with Enggist about her views on AI taking over travel and hospitality and the role of tech in creating better products for customers.
For starters, Enggist's advice to developers is “you've got to make your mistakes differently”.
As for how she thinks AI will impact travel and how you can cook up “AI and Product Love” into your business to win “Customer Love”, have a listen.
Taylor Swift has arrived in Singapore for the highly anticipated Eras Tour, which she'll perform for six nights over two weeks. Let’s face it, pop stars are good for business. More than 300,000 tickets have been sold for the concerts in Singapore, with a large number of fans travelling in from Southeast Asia and the rest of the world.
All round, it’s been a good news week for travel and tourism, with the top travel companies all reporting healthy fourth quarter 2023 and full year 2024 results – from Airbnb, Booking Holdings, Expedia Group, Trip.com Group, Amadeus.
Also, why does AI get blamed for everything these days?
It's all on this week's WiT Stories. You can read the article version of this podcast here.
Narrator: Yeoh Siew Hoon
Imagine. Fifteen years ago, there was no alternative accommodation category on Booking.com. Today, there are 7.2m short term rental listings and in its Q3 2023 earnings, this sector grew the fastest, 24% year over year, making it about 33% of all bookings.
And if you want to be part of this “New Wave of Customer Love”, Nuno Guerreiro, Regional Director South APAC and Chains, Booking.com, says you have to choose to be either green and growing, or ripe and rotting.
The answer is a no brainer, so you simply must listen to this episode, focused on the fast-growing alternative accommodation sector, featuring Nuno and his colleague, Inas Abdella, Director of Product, Booking Home.
This episode contains lots of nuggets of insights about the reasons behind the growth, what travellers are looking for as well as what suppliers can do to ride on this new wave of accommodation, and understand what different travellers want.
As for their recommendations of their favourite short term rental places, well, have a listen.
Stay tuned for more episodes, in which Siew Hoon (Founder, WiT) and Laura Houldsworth ( interview a host of voices from Booking.com, as well as a few surprises from industry friends.
Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
There’s certainly a lot of practices travel suppliers have to put in place to fulfil and deliver on its responsibility to build a more sustainable industry, and everyone, from the grassroots to giants, must do their part.
Danielle D’Silva, Head of Sustainability, Booking.com and Eric Ricaurte, CEO of Greenview, are certainly trying to do their part in their centrestage roles in travel’s delicate and complicated dance with sustainability.
It’s interesting the different paths they have each taken to arrive at this common junction – Danielle through a scholarly path and deep research into highly niche topics such as an ethnography on the Muslim community who cares for elephants used for Hindu processions in Varanasi, and the role social enterprises play in preserving cultural heritage in Cambodia, and Eric who got an early introduction to urban farming during his childhood in rural Ohio, and an odd job stint in “a random lodge in the northeast corner of Costa Rica”, which opened his eyes to the kind of experiences travellers were willing to travel for.
Both agree the next wave in sustainability is biodiversity which is positive in the sense in that it will get the industry out of its carbon tunnel vision, says Danielle, into areas that travellers can relate to. As for the books they recommend if you want to dig deeper into this super important topic in travel, and how we can all move from Customer Love to Planet Love, have a listen to the podcast.
Stay tuned for more episodes, in which Siew Hoon (Founder, WiT) and Laura Houldsworth ( interview a host of voices from Booking.com, as well as a few surprises from industry friends. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
What does 'customer love' mean in 2024?
For the first time since 2019, travel companies are unanchoring themselves to the events of the last 3 years and embracing the freedom, opportunities, and challenges that come with this new travel landscape.
In the pilot episode of our new series, Customer Love, Yeoh Siew Hoon (Founder, WiT) speaks to her co-host for all upcoming episodes, Laura Houldsworth (Managing Director, Asia Pacific, Booking.com), about travel trends to look forward to this year. With a background in financial services, writing, communications and marketing, Laura gets candid about seeking Booking.com thanks to her passion for travel. She also talks about what kind of traveller she is based on Booking.com's research data.
The duo then talk about rising trends in Asia Pacific, and what mega-platforms like Booking.com are doing to not only retain customer loyalty in a crowded marketplace, but attract new travellers with exciting new demands.
Stay tuned for future episodes, in which Siew Hoon and Laura interview a host of voices from Booking.com, as well as a few surprises from industry friends. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
Top Of The WiT is a grab of the trendiest news in travel, tech and Asia - all condensed into a nugget-sized podcast.
For the last couple of weeks, we've featured our year-end series, Goodbye 2023, Hello 2024 on the WiT website, showcasing global travel leaders nutshelling 2023 while anticipating 2024. Many were positive about the last 12 months and are looking forward to 2024, while a few are more trepeditious due to shaky socio-economic conditions worldwide.
In this episode, Siew Hoon and Arvindh discuss some of those answers - from Expedia's Michael Dykes elaborating on robust demographics in Asia, specifically Gen Z, to Wego's Ross Veitch pointing out “the long-term impact of demographic changes as a result of declining birth rates” which he says is off most people's radar but is going to massively impact economies worldwide.
We also go over some less hefty questions, like the most interesting things our featured travel leaders have read or watched this year, and one word they'd use to describe the year that was and the year that will be.
Stream the episode to join the discussion.
What happens when as an eight-year-old, you are moved from Okinawa to Indiana, two more contrasting places you couldn’t imagine? Well, for half-Japanese-half-American Michael Dykes, it was definitely “jarring”, but it taught him some valuable life lessons which have stood him in good stead in both his career and life.
The Vice President, Market Management of Asia-Pacific for Expedia Group said growing up on a farm in rural America taught him self-sufficiency as well as an appreciation for the origin of food. It also made him determined to return to Japan, and Asia, where his heart is and so he made sure he never lost his Japanese language skills while building a new life in the US.
In this podcast, Dykes talks about how countries in South-east Asia are more interwoven with each other – a lot of cultural awareness across boundaries, not seen so much in North-east Asia, which then leads to e-commerce in general, including travel, cutting across boundaries as well.
Dykes also talks about Expedia's partnerships with Jetstar and Philippine Airlines, and a deal now with general e-commerce players such as G-Mart of South Korea. The company is also also expanding the definition of B2B, and he sees opportunities within Asia-Pacific, both vertically and geographically, for Expedia to “power travel for everybody”.
Interviewer: Yeoh Siew Hoon, Founder, WiT
For more episodes in this series, look for the WiT Podcast feed wherever you get your podcasts.
After 15 years at Google's marketing and advertising division, Rob Torres recently returned to his former home at Expedia Group as Senior Vice President of Media Solutions. Like many key figures in travel and hospitality, Rob has seen the industry shift and evolve over time, with technology driving most of the change in the last couple of decades.
In this episode of Expedia Talks, we ask Rob about the lessons he has collected and curated over the years to help him prepare for the future of travel. With so much new technology at one's disposal, how does an experienced travel pro like Rob pick and choose what works best for the task at hand?
We also chat about new trends in Rob's specialty, Destination Marketing, and how data is helping companies like Expedia create more personalised experiences for each customer, which in turn adds value to Expedia's partners and suppliers.
Interviewer: Yeoh Siew Hoon, Founder, WiT
Stay tuned for more episodes in this series. Subscribe to the WiT Podcast feed wherever you get your podcasts.
Technology has come a long way in the last 20 years and Expedia has always evolved its tech platforms to stay on the forefront of change. Now, travel and hospitality are at an inflection point driven by decentralised tech like Generative AI. As the Senior Vice President of Product & Technology at Expedia Group, how does Karen Bolda and her team stay on top of all these trends? And how do tech-centric providers sift through the hype without getting distracted by the 'next big thing' that enters the market?
In this episode of Expedia Talks, we ask Karen about what drew her to the intersection of travel and technology. We also chat about her first startup and how it got acquired by Expedia all those years ago.
Karen also gets candid about her time growing up and the formative years that brought her to Expedia, before answering today's most pressing question - what's a human quality that cannot be codified?
Interviewer: Yeoh Siew Hoon, Founder, WiT
Stay tuned for more episodes in this series. Subscribe to the WiT Podcast feed wherever you get your podcasts.
As a company, Expedia Group is no stranger to change - the company has been through many shifts in the travel and hospitality industry, from technological booms to slumps in the global economy, to the current AI revolution amidst a worldwide recovery phase. Similarly, two travel veterans, Greg Schulze, SVP of Strategic Travel Partners and Hari Nair, SVP and General Manager, Lodging Marketplace, are no strangers to transformations in the industry either.
In this episode of Expedia Talks, we sit down with Greg and Hari to talk about their roles at Expedia and how it has evolved over time, especially with data, AI, and machine learning. We also go back to the early days of Online Travel Agencies and how it changed the way we travel, and why travel professionals need to always be one step ahead of the curve with trends in the market.
Greg and Hari also talk about the collective responsibility of travel players, and why it's time to rise to the occasion to meet the challenges and opportunities during this technological turning point.
Interviewer: Yeoh Siew Hoon (Founder, WiT)
Stay tuned for more episodes in this series. Subscribe to the WiT Podcast feed wherever you get your podcasts.
Expedia Group rolled out a few partnerships recently – SoFi, Mastercard, and WalmartPlusTravel.com. By enabling giant retailers like these, do they risk losing business on the B2C side of things? Why would consumers continue to use Expedia’s brands if they have other channels they can book on and have the same experience? And lastly, what does it take to form lasting partnerships in today's travel and hospitality scene?
On the first episode of Expedia Talks, a special series powered by Expedia Group, we chat with Alfonso Paredes (SVP, Commercial Partnerships, Expedia Group) about finding synergy in a competitive travel market, looking for common goals among collaborators, and how tech is helping build bridges instead of walls in the new tourism and hospitality scene.
Interviewer: Arvindh Yuvaraj (Content Lead, WiT)
Stay tuned for more episodes in this series. Subscribe to the WiT Podcast feed wherever you get your podcasts.
Top Of The WiT is a grab of the trendiest news in travel, tech and Asia - all condensed into a nugget-sized podcast.
In this episode, we're gearing up for WiT's annual flagship event, WiT Singapore. Themed 'The Human Revolution, this year's event gathers the brightest minds and most influential voices in the Asia Pacific travel scene to discuss and debate the rapidly growing role of Artificial Intelligence in travel and hospitality.
We also chat about interesting news and interviews from the last week. Want to know how famous hotel designer Bill Bensley works with animals and mother nature when designing his projects? We've got that covered.
We also go over Klook's dive into content creation and social marketing via their Kreators program - an affiliate platform that rewards KOLs and influencers for Klook purchases made via social media platforms. But, why does Klook favour the smaller influencers, those with less than 10k followers, above the social juggernauts?
Stream the episode to find out.
Top Of The WiT is a grab of the trendiest news in travel, tech and Asia - all condensed into a nugget-sized podcast.
In this episode, we're joined by optimists, experimentalists, and innovators Dawn Jeremiah (GoCity), Chan Chee Chong (GlobalTix), and Jason Chan (Cinewav) to discuss the return of indie travel and their key takeaways from WiT Indie 2023, which took place in Penang after a 3-year no-go.
After producing and screening content made with AI tools, what does Jason, a filmmaker, think about working with AI? Also, his take on the Writers and Actors strikes in Hollywood is brutally honest - and not what you might expect.
Dawn gets into new marketing trends - what are people searching for, how are younger travellers booking trips, and how important is ChatGPT and other AI tools to the overall ecosystem? We put ChatGPT to the test, in real-time, to find out.
Then, CC talks about the value of hidden gems and if traditionally popular destinations are losing their luster. Do people want to see the usual sides of Bangkok... or do they want to hop on a bike, get spontaneous, and discover a culture unseen to everyday tourists?
Stream the episode to find out more.
In this episode, we speak to Ross Veitch, Cheif Executive & Co-founder, Wego about adventures past and present, including those before the inception of Wego as a company.
Last year at WiT Singapore, Ross made a number of bold predictions about the future of travel, technology, and the Artificial Intelligence revolution. Trust us, you'll be surprised at how many he got right.
Has personalisation happened in the travel scene yet? Ross thinks we have a ways to go before true personalisation is realised, and dishes out a few hot-takes on the ways jobs will shift because of AI and tools like ChatGPT.
Top Of The WiT is a grab of the trendiest news that happened this week in travel, tech and Asia - all condensed into a quick-and-easy nugget-sized podcast.
In this episode, listen to Juliana Kua's (Assistant Chief Executive, International Group, Singapore Tourism Board) take on the online travel surge in China and her tips about tapping into India, which is now the world’s most populous country.
With the shifting travel scene comes an evolving startup space - Juliana gets insightful about new startups using UGC, gamification and conversion, and how some startups have identified new gaps in the market to tackle.
Oh, and we also make a spooky suggestion regarding Google ARCore and its collaboration with the Singapore Tourism Board.
Stream the episode to find out more.
Top Of The WiT is a grab of the trendiest news that happened this week in travel, tech and Asia - all condensed into a quick-and-easy nugget-sized podcast.
In this episode, we connect from different timezones - Siew Hoon takes a couple of road trips in Malaysia while Arvindh is in Queensland, Australia, covering the Australian Travel Exchange (ATE23).
Then, we talk about Fever - the billion-dollar company that's creating content while also serving as a ticketing platform.
Top Of The WiT is a grab of the trendiest news that happened this week in travel, tech and Asia - all condensed into a quick-and-easy nugget-sized podcast.
In this special episode, we look back at some key learnings from China Arising: Hello, New China, WiT's first event of 2023 in collaboartion with Travel Daily China.
Featuring insights from Juliana Kua (Assistant Chief Executive, International Group, Singapore Tourism Board), Kerry Healy (Chief Commercial Officer, Middle East, Africa, Turkey & Asia-Pacific – Premium, Midscale & Economy, Accor), and Calvin Chan (Chief Commercial Officer, Scoot), this episodes focuses on emerging trends coming out of newly reopened China, as well as how travel players can market to the new Chinese traveller.
Our panelists also touch on their predictions for Chinese outbound traffic, restoring air capacity, and Singapore's role in engaging with China's tourism scene.
Top Of The WiT is a grab of the trendiest news that happened this week in travel, tech and Asia - all condensed into a quick-and-easy nugget-sized podcast.
In this episode, we continue our discussion of ITB Berlin with special guest Timothy O'Neil-Dunne (Principal, T2Impact). Tim goes over the meaning of "travel tech" and what it means in 2023.
We also get into new tech like the metaverse, virtual reality, and blockchain. Is VR a healthy component of travel, or does it take away the experience of going out into the world?
Then we talk about Tim's favourite subject, airplanes and aviation, including the launch of Australia's Bonza, flight trends in China, and the future of Malaysia's latest low-cost carrier, MYAirline.
Hosted by Arvindh and Siew Hoon Guest: Timothy O'Neil-Dunne (Principal, T2Impact)
Top Of The WiT is a grab of the trendiest news that happened this week in travel, tech and Asia - all condensed into a quick-and-easy nugget-sized podcast.
In this episode, Siew Hoon and this week's guest, Tim Hughes, are back from ITB Berlin - jetlagged and buzzing with excitement about the return of the mega travel event. We discuss the booths, the business, and the technology that was discussed in the first post-pandemic travel event of this scale.
We also talk about discomfort zones, based on a new Booking.com study that says a significant number of travellers want to experience a complete culture shock this year.
And with Tim being an Aussie and all, we talk about Australia's newest airline, Bonza, and their app-only strategy.
Hosted by Arvindh and Siew Hoon Guest: Timothy Hughes (VP, Corporate Development, Agoda)
Top Of The WiT is a grab of the trendiest news that happened this week in travel, tech and Asia - all condensed into a quick-and-easy nugget-sized podcast.
In this episode, we discuss the metaverse and how brands like Sentosa are using it as an extension of their physical space, and to also transform digital users into physical consumers.
We also discuss the value of loyalty in travel and hospitality, and what a good, clean points-and-rewards system is worth in today's landscape.
And while pandemic restrictions have been gone for a while, many swanky offices in Singapore are still not at capacity, leaving them a dull version of their former selves. But, do people really need the office anymore?
Hosted by Arvindh and Siew Hoon
Top Of The WiT is a grab of the trendiest news that happened this week in travel, tech and Asia - all condensed into a quick-and-easy nugget-sized podcast.
We're joined by Christian Watts (Founder and CEO, Magpie Travel) to discuss the potential of ChatGPT in the Tours and Activities space. We also bring up Trip.com's new real-time travel-planning chatbot, TripGen, built on GPT tech.
Then, Christian talks about the importance of building products around ChatGPT fast or risk losing the edge to competitors.
We cover Amadeus' study about Traveller Tribes in 2023 and find out that we're all Excited Experientialists on the show!
Hosted by Arvindh and Siew Hoon Special guest: Christian Watts (Founder and CEO, Magpie Travel)
Top Of The WiT is a grab of the trendiest news that happened this week in travel, tech and Asia - all condensed into a quick-and-easy nugget-sized podcast.
We're joined by Pete Comeau (Managing Director, PhocusWright) to unpack two reports - one about travel recovery and digital transformation in Southeast Asia, and the other about how Northeast Asia is projected to hit $11B in gross mobile bookings by 2025.
We also discuss the Global Startup Pitch, the lessons learned from last year's event, and why it's important to reach out to non-travel tech verticals for this year's event.
Then, Siew Hoon and Pete reminisce about the now-retired Boeing 747 - the iconic 'Queen of the Skies' that revolutionised travel since the 70s and recently delivered its last plane.
Hosted by Arvindh and Siew Hoon Special guest: Pete Comeau (Managing Director, PhocusWright)
Top Of The WiT is a grab of the trendiest news that happened this week in travel, tech and Asia - all condensed into a quick-and-easy nugget-sized podcast.
On this week's episode, we talk about a recent interview with Greenview's Eric Ricaurte and how holding on to a belief in the future of sustainable travel has made him a "most wanted man".
Then, we discuss Chinese New Year festivities and how the dance of the Golden Lion can be compared to the travel industry and the skills it had to master during the pandemic.
We also chat about data and how Bookaway Group is investing millions in the creation of Boost - a transportation data hub with huge ambitions.
Hosted by Arvindh and Siew Hoon
Top Of The WiT is a grab of the trendiest news that happened this week in travel, tech and Asia - all condensed into a quick-and-easy nugget-sized podcast.
On this week's episode, we talk about Singapore's tourism projections for the next twelve months and how it forecasts a doubling of tourism receipts compared to last year's inbound traffic.
Then, we discuss an interview with Omer Chehmer, COO and co-founder of Bookaway Group, and how the ground transportation bookings company is preparing-but-not-anchoring on the potential surge in tourists from China.
We also chat about ChatGPT and how AI-driven tools can help Singapore's travel and hospitality scene.
Hosted by Arvindh and Siew Hoon
Top Of The WiT is a grab of the trendiest news that happened this week in travel, tech and Asia - all condensed into a quick-and-easy nugget-sized podcast.
On this week's episode, we hear from two industry experts on China's reopening and what's in store for the country's tourism scene, as well as what the world can expect from China's outbound travellers.
We also discuss a recent interview with Keith Tan, CEO, Singapore Tourism Board, and his view on how Singapore's soft power will help its recovery and solidify its place in the world.
Then, we talk about ChatGPT and its continued discourse in the world, as well as how it could aid the travel sector moving forward.
Hosted by Arvindh and Siew Hoon
In this episode, we speak to Keith Tan, Chief Executive Officer, Singapore Tourism Board, on the recovery trends he’s seeing in Singapore, and in Asia.
Here are the key takeaways.
On China's reopening
Keith is optimistic about what China holds for its tourism prospects in 2023 although he confessed to being surprised by the somewhat sudden lifting of restrictions. “Initially, we thought China would only open up later in 2023. So anything earlier than that, which is what we're seeing now is a plus for us. So now we're working very closely … to plan for systematic and safe reopening of our borders with China so that we don't get overwhelmed as well”.
Singapore's private sector stepped up
Keith is also naturally proud of how jobs were saved through redeploying of roles, how it pivoted to the domestic market and built up a stronger local base, how it had to swing almost overnight from a demand problem (at the height of the pandemic) to a supply problem (a nice problem to have), how major events have returned in force, how investors are pouring in money into the economy, new hotels being built, new attractions being developed.
Investor confidence and soft power
Tourism is not just about numbers, it’s about soft power and it’s vital to Singapore’s place in the world. “All those dollars means something, it must mean that somebody who has done their math is very confident in the future prospects of Singapore. And likewise, we see confidence in terms of investors putting in money into creating new concepts, new experiences in Singapore. Surely that speaks for something.”
Applying lessons learned in Singapore's continued recovery
Keith believes lessons learnt – new muscles developed, as he puts it, will prove valuable as Singapore plans its way into a future based on three pillars – wellness, sustainability and technology. In this podcast, he shares the agency’s thinking of how it plans to chart the way forward for the remaking of Singapore as a destination. He expresses enthusiasm about new tourism concepts he’s seen on his travels – particularly an attraction in Paris that inspired him and the technology that can be deployed in all aspects of Singapore’s tourism from sustainability tech to metaverse.
Singapore's place in the world
“It's not just about visitor arrivals. It's not just about tourism, revenues and tourism spin. It's about our place in the world, our relevance in the world and, at least for domestic audiences, it's also about how we continue to build a livable and lovable country for our people.”
Have a listen.
On “Top Of The WiT”, we bring you a grab of the news that happened this week in travel, technology and Asia – interesting nuggets that caught our eye and made it into the weekly WiT newsletter. This week, social media was stormed by talk of Artificial Intelligence. ChatGPT, a bot by OpenAI that's capable of replicating human-like responses, has become quite the controversial figure. However, it also has a few suggestions on how to reduce anger in the world and bring about more peace. We also talk the Teacher-To-Mountain programme and visiting the Elephant Nature Park. Our friends and key players in the industry responded with their words to describe 2023 and needless to say, they were overwhelmingly positive.
Hosted by Arvindh and Siew Hoon
On “Top Of The WiT”, we bring you a grab of the news that happened this week in travel, technology and Asia – interesting nuggets that caught our eye and made it into the weekly WiT newsletter. This week, we look back at a few articles that were published at the end of 2021, with answers by key players in the travel space predicting, describing, and anticipating 2021. What did they get right? What did they get slightly less right? And what words did they use to describe the last twelve months? We also talk the inevitable return of China and how it'll affect global tourism.
Hosted by Arvindh and Siew Hoon
On “Top Of The WiT”, we bring you a grab of the news that happened this week in travel, technology and Asia – interesting nuggets that caught our eye and made it into the weekly WiT newsletter. This week, we talk about the convergence of the "old world" and this new, endemic one. Siew Hoon, having just returned to Singapore from The Phocuswright Conference 2022 in Phoenix, Arizona, shares some key takeaways from the event. The timing is perfect as we move into the final month of 2022 and look towards a year that's full of new potential for the travel space. We also discuss empowering smaller players in the travel space, as well as... Star Wars socks?
Hosted by Arvindh and Siew Hoon
On “Top Of The WiT”, we bring you a grab of the news that happened this week in travel, technology and Asia – interesting nuggets that caught our eye and made it into the weekly WiT newsletter. This week, we tackle timezone differences and lessons from The Phocuswright Conference 2022, as Siew Hoon dials in from the event grounds in Phoenix, Arizona. And to celebrate the tenth episode of the podcast, we invite Pete Comeau, Managing Director, Phocuswright on the show to give us his key takeaways (so far) from the event as well.
We discuss "doing the right thing" in hospitality - prioritising sustainability, authentic travel, and respecting talent. We also briefly touch on AI, machine learning, and the metaverse.
Hosted by Arvindh and Siew Hoon
Special guest: Pete Comeau (Managing Director, Phocuswright Inc)
On “Top Of The WiT”, we bring you a grab of the news that happened this week in travel, technology and Asia – interesting nuggets that caught our eye and made it into the weekly WiT newsletter. This week, we talk about Gen Z, the future of the industry, and how they're hopeful about the hospitality space. We also discuss major takeaways from WiT Seoul - the blurring of lines with Online Travel Agengies and new demographics in the market. Then, we touch on consumer behaviour and how some forms of stress could actually be beneficial.
Hosted by Arvindh and Siew Hoon
On “Top Of The WiT”, we bring you a grab of the news that happened this week in travel, technology and Asia – interesting nuggets that caught our eye and made it into the weekly WiT newsletter. This week, we talk about returning to South Korea for WiT Seoul, our first live event there since 2019. We also discuss an interview with Caesar Indra, President of Traveloka, and how he prefers to be a trendsetter in the travel space instead of a follower. There's also talk of robots, payments, and living in consequential times.
Hosted by Arvindh and Siew Hoon
On “Top Of The WiT”, we bring you a grab of the news that happened this week in travel, technology and Asia – interesting nuggets that caught our eye and made it into the weekly WiT newsletter. This week, we talk about a company that wants to transform mobility, through data and analytics, for developing nations in the region. We also discuss the return of cruises and how its engaging with millennial consumers, as well as reaching new travel and sustainability goals by being the "dreamers that do".
Hosted by Arvindh and Siew Hoon
On “Top Of The WiT”, we bring you a grab of the news that happened this week in travel, technology and Asia – interesting nuggets that caught our eye and made it into the weekly WiT newsletter. This week, we make like Doctor Strange but instead of travelling the multiverse, we try to comprehend the Metaverse... of Madness! Siew Hoon is also joining the pod on-site from HICAP 2022, so we dig into some of the lessons learned from the conference. Then we talk ordering food from robots, as well as using travel as a scientifically proven way to boost mental wellbeing.
Hosted by Arvindh and Siew Hoon
On “Top Of The WiT”, we bring you a grab of the news that happened this week in travel, technology and Asia – interesting nuggets that caught our eye and made it into the weekly WiT newsletter. It has been a busy week for the WiT crew as the dust still settles from WiT Singapore 2022 that took place live and in-person from Oct 3 - 5. On this episode, we look back at some of the key takeaways from the event - from the rise of digital nomads and how some companies like Airbnb are paying attention, the role of video content in the travel space, and a universal call for innovation in the startup space.
Hosted by Arvindh and Siew Hoon
On “Top Of The WiT”, we bring you a grab of the news that happened this week in travel, technology and Asia – interesting nuggets that caught our eye and made it into the weekly WiT newsletter. This week, we're talking about India as the world's fifth largest economy and what that means for its tourism sector, how one B2B payments company is embracing Web3 disruption, and whether or not the aviation industry is better prepared for another global crisis.
Hosted by Arvindh and Siew Hoon
On “Top Of The WiT”, we bring you a grab of the news that happened this week in travel, technology and Asia – interesting nuggets that caught our eye and made it into the weekly WiT newsletter. This week, we're talking about stunning artwork created by artificial intelligence, Airbnb's report on how remote work has changed the nature of travel, Malaysia's newest low-cost carrier, MYAirline, and a Gen Z author's honest perspective on the travel and hospitality industry.
Hosted by Arvindh and Siew Hoon
On “Top Of The WiT”, we bring you a grab of the news that happened this week in travel, technology and Asia – interesting nuggets that caught our eye and made it into the weekly WiT newsletter. This week, we're talking about a couple of digital nomads expanding their short-term rent cleaning service in Southeast Asia, high-tech on the high seas, and the adoption of cryptocurrency by the travel and hospitality scene.
Hosted by Arvindh and Siew Hoon
This is the first of a weekly series called “Top Of The WiT”, in which we bring you a grab of the news that happened this week in travel, technology and Asia – news that caught our eye and made it into the weekly WiT newsletter.
This week, we're talking about the need for "boring" jobs in the travel industry, the adoption of new tech by the age-old railway system, and why demand for wellness tourism is seeing a major uptick.
Hosted by Arvindh and Siew Hoon
In this episode, we speak to Vikram Malhi, who’s the co‐founder of ZUZU Hospitality, on the recovery trends he’s seeing in the small, independent hotel segment in South‐east Asia and how this could be a breakout moment for the longtail of hospitality.
Here are the key takeaways.
On recovery
Every market is seeing different recovery. Destinations like Bandung in Indonesia and Chonburi in Thailand did well domestically, but not Bali or Phuket which relied on inbound visitors. But numbers have picked up and Bali, for example, is almost back to 50% of pre‐Covid level.
The biggest hurdle now is flight capacity and flight prices. A lot of hotel bookings are not happening because people are not booking flights. But we expect that to build up as flight capacity increases.
On digitisation and its acceleration
Before the pandemic, the adoption of digital was a big challenge for small independent hotels.
“In places like Bali, they were happy with getting busloads of tourists so they’d say, I don’t need an OTA. Suddenly all of that has disappeared. And the hotels have realised, hey, I need a diversified channel strategy, I can't be focused on just one channel, it could be offline or online.”
“We were able to increase our hotel partners by 50%, even during that time, so we've now close to about 3,000 hotels that we work with.”
“On the consumer side, recovery is going to be driven by digital because in the last two years, people have gotten so used to using apps for everything, from ordering food, to essentially even having medical appointments online to e‐learning.”
How this will benefit the longtail
“People are now used to making their buying decisions based on reviews online, as opposed to just looking at the brand. When I order food, I sort of know the brand, but I'm also open to trying new places, because I know the reviews are pretty great. And similarly, I think in hotels that happening as well, people are okay with going to a place they haven't heard about as long as the reviews and the price point is what they are looking for. That piece is pushing people to make decisions independent of the brand.”
Trend of remote work “not happening in Asia yet”
“It might happen at some point. But I'm not seeing a lot of Indonesians pack up their bags and say, okay, I'm going off to Phuket or Bali for 28 days. I mean, that's not happening in Indonesia. That's not happening in even Singapore. It's not happening in Thailand, definitely. I almost feel like it's the reverse. And people have gotten a little bit more careful about where they travel, how long do they stay? What are the regulations around changing regulations, case numbers, you know, things like that. So I think Asia is not there yet.”
What could get better about the long tail?
The push towards digitisation will help small independent hotels become more discoverable and profitable.
“From a traveller perspective, all of us have quickly realized how interconnected, intertwined, all of us are in the world. And so being very cautious about your impact on the environment, your impact on others, sustainability – these things are now at the forefront for most of the people that are traveling. I'm hoping that as travellers come back, they keep these things in mind.”
Have a listen.
In this episode, we speak with Mieke de Schepper, Executive Vice President and Managing Director Asia Pacific Amadeus IT Group, about coping with fatigue in a region that’s lagging behind in travel recovery, how technology can facilitate the return of safe travel and boost confidence of travellers and how governments and travel companies need to collaborate to get us out of this and through this together.
Among the key takeaways from the conversation:
- The current mode of travel is not sustainable.
- It's not the fear of Covid, it’s the fear of changing rules and restrictions.
- Asia Pacific is lagging, whatever spots that have reopened, the numbers are really small.
- How to get to quarantine-free two-way travel.
- The challenges of running a global business out of Singapore right now – fix business travel first.
- The fatigue of being locked down for so long is building up in teams across Asia.
- Technology can help rebuild confidence and facilitate safe travel.
- The travel agents who will come out of this will be hybrid.
Experimentation and adaptation has kept Madrid-born Fernando Gibaja, General Manager of Capella Singapore, energised the past 20 months. From a period of uncertainty – not knowing what would happen when the pandemic first happened – to now its greatest period of creativity, Capella is enjoying healthy increases in average daily rates and RevPar, thanks to the huge array of activities and experiences that its team has put together to tap the staycation market.
In this episode of The WiT Podcast, Gibaja shares the lessons he learnt from a Paolo in Mexico, his secret walk with his dog, Kala, in Sentosa which kept him sane, as well as where to find the best seafood in the world.
In Episode 36 of The WiT Podcast Lee Cheh Hsien, Divisional Director, Planning, Sentosa Development Corporation, talks about about breaking down the big topic of sustainability so that island destinations like Sentosa and businesses on the island can play their part to contribute towards a greater, collective goal.
And it doesn’t have to stop at the business level – given the 20 million guests who visited Sentosa (pre-Covid), it can play a big role in not only raising consumer awareness but empowering individual action. What it comes down to is data and measurability, taking small steps, implementing micro-solutions, getting small wins along the way so that you are encouraged to take the next step. Think of it as climbing your own “Carbon Everest”.
Singapore-based infectious disease expert Dr Paul Tambyah said that unless the industry works with the medical fraternity to come up with a scientific, calibrated approach to give confidence to governments, that will become the default mode, given the success seen in countries like New Zealand and Australia that implemented sharp lockdowns over isolated cases.
In Episode 35 of the WiT Podcast, National University of Singapore professor, Dr Tambyah, who is president-elect of the International Society of Infectious Diseases (ISID), covers a wide range of topics including the possibility that WHO may declare the end to the pandemic by or towards the end of the third quarter given the rapid acceleration of vaccine rollouts, but a recurring theme was how travel and medicine needed to work closer together to prevent a Covid-like devastation of the travel industry from happening again.
The cable car is one of Singapore’s oldest attractions, built in 1974. Covid had an impact on the number of riders in 2020 and Singapore’s Mount Faber Leisure Group, which markets the cable car as well as related attractions, has had to adjust its business to a 100% local market.
In this podcast Tracy Lui, Senior Assistant Director, Marketing & Communications, Mount Faber Leisure Group, reveals how the company got creative, took its “dining in a cable car” product to a whole new level so that customers can “fly” to certain destinations while enjoying themed dinners. It launched tours to get locals informed and inspired by the stories of the natural environment that surrounds Mt Faber Park. And it partnered with Singapore Airlines in a first class dining experience. It’s also working on a new product that will strengthen its appeal to the returning inbound traveller.
In this podcast we learn how Luke Johnson, General Manager of AJ Hackett, Singapore, has taken lessons from adventure sports in dealing with Covid, why his jump masters would make the best coaches in resilience and how the park helped thousands of Singaporeans destress from the confines of living on a small island with closed borders.
In the process, Johnson has also learnt what matters most to Singaporeans – beyond the thrills, yes, it’s about the food – and how AJ Hackett worldwide is rebranding itself into an experience that’s beyond the jumping and swinging, and it’s just about being there, being part of the fun. And it’s also about learning what goes on behind the scenes with its new “Bouncing Back To Life” insider tour, which is part of a wider Sentosa initiative to launch Insider Tours across the island (the tours are yet to be launched).
January has come and gone and still the world doesn’t look that much different from when we ended 2020. International borders are still closed, countries are still in various forms of lockdowns and restrictions and airlines are set to face another disastrous year.
So what will 2021 hold for us in travel? Well, we begin the first podcast of 2021 with a collection of views – a poem of hope read by Emma Demopoulos, key takeaways from the WiT 2021 Questionnaire, which we sent to a selection of industry players, and an encouragement for you to visualise or verbalise your way out of this. As George Orwell said, words form our world. What’s your word for 2021?
Here’s Part 2 of The WiT Podcast, Dear 2020, in which we feature “Dear 2020” letters from our friends from around the world. What would they say to it? How would they want to remember it by?
This Part 2 is an extensive collection covering a diversity of voices, from New York to Australia to Europe and across Asia. So sit back, relax, soak it in or if you are walking or running, keep on moving. Let these letters be your companion.
The island of Sentosa has become the main playground of Singaporean residents and the Sentosa Development Corporation and its partners have been busy adapting, creating and experimenting in a global world gone local.
In this wide-ranging conversation with Mira Bharin, Director, Brand, Marketing and Communications, Sentosa Development Corporation, we speak about how Sentosa and its businesses have adapted, the new tools it’s adopted in engaging with its customers – from gamification to live streaming, and the secrets she’s discovered about her island home. And like the most interesting journeys, the conversation takes a detour into make-up and lipstick territory where we speak of how “masks have become the new lipstick”, food (find out where the best chicken rice is on Sentosa), and beer.
Welcome to Part 2 of our special report from the Middle East, where we present a summary of our event held on November 25 when we gathered close to 30 speakers to share their knowledge and insights over four hours. In this episode we hear how critical aviation is to the distribution of vaccines and how Covid has impacted airlines in the Middle East, and how Expo2020 is forging ahead in Dubai.
Over in Saudi Arabia the move to domestic has enabled Saudis to discover their own country. The Seera Group is committed to investing and developing the kingdom’s travel industry through a new investment fund. Its low cost airline, flyadeal, is already up and flying at 80% of frequency and seeing robust demand.
We thought long and hard about how to mark this year end – have something tangible to remember it by, so that say in five years from now, we could look back and remember what it was like. Like a time capsule of sorts.
In this Podcast, we reached out and asked some of our industry friends to write their “Dear 2020” letter – what would they say to it? Here’s the first collection. Have a listen at your leisure as we count down the days to 2020.
This is a special report from the Middle East where we present a summary of our event held on November 25 when we gathered close to 30 speakers to share their knowledge and insights over four hours.
In Part 1, we hear tales about aviation, why this is a watershed moment rather than a “glitch”, stories from online travel agents not only surviving but keeping extremely busy with product and market launches, and confessions of hoteliers on their “cry, why, try, fly” stage of grief.
In Singapore Scott Peterson and his team at Resorts World Sentosa have certainly felt the pressure and worry as to the future of their industry. But that doesn’t mean they have stopped creating – if anything, they are busier than usual.
In this podcast the Singapore-born executive, who started out in local theatre, talks about how his team has been managing the crisis, how they have responded and what they are planning for the holiday season, knowing full well that the majority of Singaporeans have no option but to stay home for the holidays.
As Covid devastated the lucrative sector, Ong Wee Min, Marina Bay Sands’ Vice President, MICE, who’s been in the industry for more than 20 years, found himself having to think quickly and creatively on his feet, and to lead his team through a massive sea of change in their business that is requiring them to develop new skills almost overnight.
In this podcast, he shares his fondest memories of his career, the thinking behind its much-talked-about Hybrid Broadcasting Studio, his views about conferences and exhibitions for the future as well as advice for the next generation of talent entering a very changed industry from the one they studied and prepared for.
In this episode we caught up with Timothy Hughes, Vice President, Corporate Development, Agoda, to find out his views living and working in a virtual world, what he thinks of virtual and hybrid events, what were his key takeaways from the recently-concluded WiT Experience Week, what he feels are two interesting trends to watch and at the end, he speaks about the most memorable “conference swag” he ever got.
In Asia we love to eat. We also love to talk about it, almost as much as we eat. Because if there’s one breakout star of Covid 19 and the great human experience of staying home for prolonged periods, it is food. It kept us alive, cheered us up, opened up our world to new food choices. There was wholesale migration online of those who cook, as well as those of us who eat. Food delivery, in particular, exploded.
This episode, co-hosted by Louise Daley, deputy CEO of Accor Asia Pacific, looks into the trends happening in the food tech space, why this is a golden moment for food tech and asks, who will be the winners. And at the end, we even cover how food will be grown in the future.
This is a story that begins on Koh Lipe, an island in the Andaman Sea near the border of Malaysia, a popular spot for travellers and is known for lots of small islands, sandy beaches and coral-rich waters.
Tom Peacock-Nazil and wife Pamela needed a break from their hectic urban life in Singapore, their home for the past seven years, and about two and a half years ago they headed off to Koh Lipe for their escape. It ended up with him quitting his finance job to set up a social enterprise called Seven Clean Seas aimed at addressing the problem of plastic waste through technology and plastic credits. Have a listen to how it all began. It’s a fascinating story of passion, driven by purpose as well as business thinking.
In this podcast Carl Jones, VP and Head of Travel, APAC and Greater China, SAP Concur, speaks on the change in corporate traveller sentiment, citing a recent study done by SAP Concur that shows travellers are now more concerned about health and safety, rather than costs, and that the industry must adapt to this shift. He also discloses what these shifts imean for travel management companies as they prepare for the day when their customers can travel again.
The reality is, it will be a smaller industry that will emerge after this but those that do emerge will be armed with the right technology and right business model to look after their customers throughout the whole trip. He also believes that this heightened concern over health and safety might see more of the unmanaged corporate travel market shift towards managed travel.
Todd Arthur, Vice President, Sabre Travel Network, Asia Pacific, is himself an avid traveller. He’s been to 117 countries and you can imagine how antsy he is to make it to 118. But for now, like all of us, he’s had to get used to a new routine at home and picking up a new life skill (and it’s not cooking or baking).
And even though he says Sabre is seeing some positive signs of recovery in certain domestic markets, the truth is cross-border travel is not going to be happening anytime soon which begs the question, how do travel agents survive this period? Plus, guess which is his 118th destination? Have a listen.
On July 25, Greg Schulze, senior vice president, Expedia Group, flew back to the US after completing his four-and-a-half year stint in Singapore as the first global head to be based in Asia Pacific.
In this podcast Schulze speaks of the lessons he’s learnt in his time in the region, what he’s learnt in his dealings with travel leaders like Ferry Unardi, CEO and co-founder of Traveloka, and Tony Fernandes, AirAsia Group CEO, what it was like managing a global crisis on “remote work” footing and how he believes Asia will lead the recovery. The podcast was recorded on July 24, the day before his flight on Qatar.
More than halfway into 2020, and still there seems to be no easy or clear resolution to the Covid-19 crisis that has grounded travel and pushed economies into free fall. We had hoped it would be a year of two halves, but at this midway point into the first year of the new decade, it feels like we are at “Year Zero.O” – almost everywhere, travel plunged to zero and almost everywhere, everyone’s trying to restart the engines – just that everyone’s at different starting gates, and some gates are having to close again.
In this episode, we take stock of the crisis thus far, catch up on what’s happening in different markets across Asia and highlight the common themes of recovery from domestic travel to product-market-fit and reinventing hospitality.
It is clear we are in for a long storm with severe headwinds which is why we must stay focused on the opportunities and keep our eye on the horizon as we sail into the second half of 2020 together.
She describes herself as a “life-long food explorer, driven by a passion for food”. But Karni Tomer, founder and CEO of Wok ‘n’ Stroll in Singapore, is more than that. She is an entrepreneur through and through, driven by creativity, resourcefulness and resilience.
In this episode, we learn how she overcame her personal anxieties when the Covid-19 pandemic wiped out all bookings from the business she founded in 2013, how she turned a personal tragedy into the start of a culinary adventure from the Israeli desert. Through her natural love for cooking, she’s found new niches for her business which she never knew existed and thus saved her business. Her willingness to learn and experiment has set Wok ‘n’ Stroll up stronger for the future.
In this episode, Yeoh Siew Hoon sums up the lessons she took away from the WiT Virtual Summit when we went round the world in six hours – from how it’s okay to be scrappy, to how we should not go back to bad habits of old and how we should, with clever tech, make our customers feel confident again about travelling. And finally, what a father had to tell his daughter about the business he built up and saw destroyed, and what he hopes for her future.
As the Group CEO of Mandai Park Holdings (MPH), Mike Barclay oversees both Mandai Park Development, the entity set up to drive the rejuvenation of Mandai into an integrated wildlife and nature precinct, and Wildlife Reserves Singapore, the operator of four award-winning attractions – Jurong Bird Park, Night Safari, River Safari and Singapore Zoo.
In this episode, we catch up with him on how Wildlife Reserves Singapore has been keeping its animals, team and customers engaged at a time when its parks are closed for the first time in history.
Aldrin is known in the club scene as “One With Aldrin”, for his signature nights at the legendary Zouk in Singapore as well as clubs all over the world. For as long as he can remember, Aldrin’s been in love with music and while other kids mixed chemicals in a laboratory, he would hide away in his bedroom, mixing music. He believes music unites, heals and celebrates. He’s won numerous awards and recognition – best local DJ in Singapore, Asia’s Number One DJ – he’s been featured on BBC Radio One as well as Singapore’s National Day Parade.
At WiT 2009, themed “Tough Love” because the world was coming out of the global financial crisis, Ho Kwon Ping, known for not pulling his punches, called out of the rise of China and the clash of civilisations.
A decade later, we revisit him in his home in Singapore to catch up with him on how he thinks Covid-19 will further change the state of play between East and West, what ASEAN should do to save its tourism industry, how this crisis will forge the next generation of leaders in Asia and the terrible dilemma of tourism.
As Australia slowly awakens, so is Luxury Escapes, the company that grew out of packaging luxury hotel experiences for Australian customers and, in the last seven years, has cast its net wider to Asia.
Like other travel companies, it too had to deal with a crisis of cancellations and change requests but its ability to move quickly to a self-service model with its “My Escape” feature helped cushion it from a worse impact, and its roots in the “Buy Now, Book Later” product line has also meant that even in the depths of the crisis, it was able to get bookings and payments with its built-in flexibility.
Covid-19 has been brutal to restaurants but many are not taking it lying down. This is the story of how two-Michelin-starred Saint Pierre got creative to survive, held on to its staff and in the process, developed new thinking and discovered new business models that will ensure it comes out stronger for a new world.
Making learning his superpower, lobbying Google for relief and thinking about the accelerated decoupling of the world – those are the things that have been keeping Tao Tao, Co-founder and COO of GetYourGuide, busy through Covid-19. In addition to saving the business he co-founded with three of his college classmates 10 years ago. Through that process, he’s proudest of the fact that they haven’t had to lay off any staff because “solidarity is a real thing”.
In this wide-ranging conversation, in which we also learnt his mother is his superhero, Tao Tao speaks about how his immigrant upbringing has fortified him for life, the lessons he’s learnt through Covid-19, what he would say to students if he were to give a commencement address and how Google must do the right and smart thing by the industry.
In this podcast Louise Daley, the deputy CEO of one of the biggest and fastest growing hospitality companies in Asia Pacific, speaks about the impact in Asia on Accor, the lessons to be taken as markets in the region take first tentative steps to restarting and, would you believe it, the ongoing opportunities to build more hotels in China.
In this podcast, the president of Wharf Hotels Jennifer Cronin speaks about Hong Kong’s effective containment of Covid-19, how it can serve as a model for restarting travel, the formation of a co-funded Heritage Tourism Fund and the rise of women leadership.
Born in Singapore, the Australian star started out in basketball, crossed over to Rugby Sevens where her team won a Gold in the 2016 Rio Olympics then went on to play for Carlton in the Australian Football League. But clearly, her rugby days are not over because late last year, she committed to be in the Tokyo Olympics and is currently dual training in both the AFL and Rugby Sevens
Fear is all around us today, and while some of us have been living with it since the start of the year, some are just getting into it – it’s almost like this ripple of fear that has spread across the world. There’s fear of the virus, fear for our family and friends, fear of losing our jobs, wages being cut and fear of an unknown future – how long will this last?
But we must overcome fear if we are to recover and rebound and it starts with managing our own fear.
In this episode, we speak to Dr Adrian Wang, who runs his own psychiatry and counselling centre at Gleneagles Medical Centre in Singapore. Before commencing private practice in Oct 2005, he was chief of the Department of General Psychiatry and consultant-in-charge of the Anxiety and Mood Clinic at the Institute of Mental Health. He was the chief CARE officer of the National CARE Management System from 2001 to 2005, and was involved in planning the psychological responses for the Asian Tsunami Crisis in 2004 and the Silkair MI185 and SIA 006 air crashes.
In this episode, we speak to William Bao Bean, General Partner at SOSV Capital and managing director of Chinaccelerator, who’s got loads of experience in tech investing in Asia. He founded MOX, SOSV’s Mobile-Only Accelerator, in partnership with GMobi, the largest mobile platform for South-east Asia and India. William is also an active angel investor with 39 investments between 2004 and 2014. He’s also known for not being afraid to speak his mind.
This wide-ranging conversation covers his personal experience of being in Shanghai currently, his views on the China tech scene, how startups and investors must behave like cockroaches even if it means losing a couple of legs and the leapfrogging in mobile innovation in health tech that is coming out of Asia as governments collaborate with private sector to fight Covid-19.
Since travel has come to a halt, this serial entrepreneur and investor has been staying home in Hong Kong for longer than usual, and spending time with family. And with schools closed in Hong Kong since January, he’s had a lot of time to observe how his kids are learning at home and through e-learning. It’s given him insights into the future of education, a sector he’s very excited about as an investor.
In this wide-ranging interview, he speaks about his disappointment in humanity’s failure to learn from the past, lessons that can be gleaned by the West from China’s and Singapore’s handling of the viral outbreak, what kind of recovery we can expect and what travel companies have to do to get through this storm, how events like WiT have to rethink their business models, his pick of industries that will flourish in the aftermath and how Hong Kong should reset as a destination.
Above all, he feels this is a time for us personally to rethink our own travels. “Maybe travel was never meant to be a mass market, Walmart style consumer product, maybe it was more of a Gucci bag or a Hermes bag where you might get one or two in your life.” His wish is, we will all learn to appreciate travel better once we get back on the road.
The past year has been challenging for Klook, with protests in Hong Kong and political tensions between China and South Korea, and South Korea and Japan. So you can say tough times are not new to this young travel tech unicorn. In fact, Eric Gnock Fah, COO & Co-founder, says Klook was forged in hard times, in 2014. But he is under no delusion that this Covid-19 crisis is anything like what has come before.
In this episode, the 32-year-old investment banker-turned-travel entrepreneur talks about how he intends to bring his “fighting spirit” forged on Mauritius soil to get his company through this global storm that’s changing shape every day.
Episode 2: Ross Veitch, CEO & Co-founder, Wego; Kei Shibata, co-founder and CEO, Line Travel.jp and Trip 101; Christine Tan, managing director, Asia Pacific, D-Edge Hospitality Solutions
Japan was one of the latest countries to be dragged into this crisis – let’s call it Batch 2. Hokkaido declaring a state of emergency on February 28, which will last to March 19, sent shock waves through the industry, and companies having to deal with the aftermath. What is the data showing LINE Travel.jp? And how is the company dealing with the effects?
In Batch 2 is also the Middle East, with cases in Iran sowing panic, and Dubai is seeing mass cancellations of events. What is the data showing Wego, one of the largest online travel brands in the region? How are independent hoteliers getting through this? Will this prompt a reset on how they sell, market and distribute? What is D-Edge Hospitality Solutions seeing in its interactions with customers?
In this episode, we mix up three different perspectives, but with one common thread – they are all thinking differently about their business and coming up with creative approaches to problem solving. From giving staff extra days of annual leave to creating new sales tools and blending remote and office work, it pays to think differently.
“You have to take the ups and you have to take the downs,” says Keith Tan, CEO of STB. The organization has responded swiftly, putting in place measures to assist the industry, as well as assemble a Tourism Recovery Action Taskforce. Yes, there is no denying the pain has been sharp and will get sharper as the virus spreads but he believes this is a time for a reset, to get creative, to get reskilled. Above all, he believes Singapore must not waver from its pursuit of quality tourism. In fact, his advice to other destinations affected by Covid-19 is to keep your eye on your North Star. Dig deep into your brand equity and solidify it.