Articles tagged “asia”

With the hostel market still so fragmented, the Meininger business would make an attractive option for one of its rivals or perhaps a private equity firm.

The vision of global, interconnected ridehailing is sweet, and Asian player Grab wants to lead the way. But there is good reason to be skeptical.

Facebook makes no secret that it wants to be the WeChat of the world outside China. Is it any surprise that it's leading the development of a new payment infrastructure and the first product is — drum roll — a digital wallet?

Big-name tour operators aren't losing sleep over Airbnb Adventures. But some are indeed paying close attention, which is prudent. Just ask European airlines, which underestimated the emergence of Ryanair and EasyJet, and would love to have a do-over.

Langham has expanded in North America, China, and Australia, but not in Europe, where its acquisition of The Langham, London, gave it the brand. A new wave of development earmarks Europe as a priority, and the company wants to enter the resort space as well. But before all that can happen, it needs to further raise brand awareness.

Whether or not Accor will acquire or invest in Oyo, the point is this sector has come a very long way and is heading toward a big moment, born from a college dropout's entrepreneurial dream in India. The whole travel industry should welcome this.

Nowhere is this complexity and turmoil more pronounced than in Asia, where market growth, travel technology, and consumer behavior all converge to make the region a fertile ground for disruption and innovation.

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.

As many as four out of the next five new outbound travelers in the next decade could come from the emerging world. Are you prepared for the center of gravity in travel to shift?

An exclusive first look at Ixigo's fiscal year financials reveals that the travel price-comparison startup is growing rapidly. Its story suggests how business models that originated in Western markets sometimes need to adapt to local needs to succeed in emerging markets.