The WiT Podcast

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 conv...

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...

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 presente...

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 playe...

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 pla...

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 th...

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...

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...

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. --------------------------------------- "Futur...

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 c...

"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 compa...

"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 entrepren...

"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 Yeo...

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 d...

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 s...

"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 acr...

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'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 t...

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 o...

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 join...

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 podca...

"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 int...

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 pos...

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...

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...