Articles tagged “sfa2019”

Wellness may be booming, but there’s still plenty of opportunity to do something new, said Octave Institute founder Fred Tsao. His holistic vision, based around the idea of Quantum Leadership, could become a new model for the sector.

In an era of “big data,” it’s easy to overlook the fact that meeting planner feedback is one of the most powerful tools that hospitality companies can use to drive repeat business and boost event revenue.

Mobile payments are already commonplace in parts of Asia — China particularly — but as travelers adopt these tools, travel companies will need both local expertise and deep technological capabilities to make sure their guests can pay when and how they like.

You heard in Singapore first. The CEO of the Fosun Tourism Group did not deny the company was moving ahead with a larger play for Thomas Cook at Skift Forum Asia. Keep your eyes peeled for what would be one of travel's biggest deals of 2019.

It's obvious that executives from Booking, Expedia, and Rakuten are laying odds that AirAsia won't be very successful in striving to add online travel agency services. Several airlines have already tried and failed at it, although AirAsia seems to be undertaking a much more thoughtful and rigorous approach.

The momentum is certainly building for a renewed look into Google's business practices as they relate to antitrust issues. As part of that, a wide swath of travel businesses would welcome such a probe.

Genting unlocked Asia's cruise market 25 years ago. It would be a shame if it does not get a chunk of what's now a significant source of tourism revenue. The company is making all the right moves, including plans to go global. Asians are always seeking new products and new places.

In a rare appearance at Skift Forum Asia, Singapore Airlines CEO Goh Choon Phong says the carrier is in a unique position: It doesn't operate a single domestic route. So it has to make up for the valuable revenue stream it lacks from domestic traffic feed by competing aggressively in a fragmented market.

Oyo has more rooms in China than in India, but India is still its biggest revenue generator. A deal with Ctrip may help correct that imbalance.

Lots of companies have plenty of data at their disposal to improve operations and personalize services. Whether AirAsia has the wherewithal to become a much broader e-commerce platform is a very open question.