How travel agents are working differently with technology
Travel agents have had quite a longstanding relationship with technology. Some 20 plus years ago, they were the retailers with the most sophisticated green-screen technology on their desks. In the past two decades, however, the agency business has gone through an evolution. These days, the relationship between travel advisors and their clients is boosted by technology but not controlled by...
Malaysia on right track to realise smart cities vision
Malaysia is on the right track to realise its smart cities vision under the 11th Malaysia Plan 2016-2020 (11MP), information and communications technology (ICT) leader NEC Corporation of Malaysia Sdn Bhd (NEC Malaysia) said. “In fact, we are already living in a smart city when we start using a mobile application to pay for parking,” Managing Director Chong Kai Wooi said. He said...
Europe, Middle East are tops on Virtuoso’s list of fall and holiday travel destinations
An examination of nearly $41 billion in travel bookings for the fall found that travelers were making flight arrangements to some surprising destinations. Ahead of the holiday travel season, the luxury travel and trend forecaster Virtuoso discovered that Americans continue to flock to perennial favorites like Europe. However, Virtuoso’s data — unveiled during this month’s...
Malaysia to achieve target of 33.1 million tourist arrivals in 2018
Malaysia is on target to achieve its foreign tourist arrival goal of 33.1 million in 2018. Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Mohammadin Ketapi said there were 8.47 million international arrivals in the first quarter of the year, with a marked increase in visitors from China (37.2 per cent), India (21.2 per cent), South Korea (26.5 per cent), Canada (28 per cent) and the United...
Projection: Egypt to Witness 80 Percent Increase in British Tourists by End of Year
The British newspaper The Guardian revealed on Friday that British tour operators have revealed an increase in non-European tour bookings, led by Egypt, expecting an 80% increase in British tourism to Egypt by the end of this year. Meanwhile, Thomas Cook explained that it now has the largest number of customers returning to Egypt, which helps in making Egypt a “great destination in the...
Booking Holdings Says Half Its Customers Now Come Direct: Will It Be a Game Changer?
Executives at Booking Holdings said on Thursday that “approximately 50 percent” of paying customers now come directly to its brands. The Norwalk, Connecticut-based company had not previously drawn attention to this direct booking figure. In comments during a second-quarter earnings call, chief financial officer David Goulden defined “direct” bookings as any customer who books without having...
Indonesians Can Make Most of “Hajj App’ Introduced by Jakarta Govt
Tech-conscious Indonesian pilgrims this year can count on their smartphones to make the pilgrimage easier by using the updated Smart Hajj application launched by the Ministry of Religious Affairs. Available only to Android smartphone users since 2016, the app is available on Google Play Store and has been updated from its earlier version with more features on its menu. “We have added more...
5% rise in global flight searches for UAE, says Skyscanner
Winter sun is the main attraction, with the run-up to the New Year maxing out global travel search dates for Dubai The UAE has witnessed a 5 percent rise in travellers searching for flights to the Gulf country in 2018 compared to last year, according to UK-based travel website Skyscanner. Dubai ranked number one in the emirate for global tourists, with the winter sun and New Year both being...
Blockchain-featured tourism app to debut next month
Starbull will probably become China’s first tourism application featuring blockchain technology when it officially debuts next month, Shanghai Daily learned today. With blockchain and smart contract technology, Starbull can make deals faster, direct with hotels, airlines and traveling agency firms. It may challenge the dominant marketing positions of online agencies like Ctrip and offer 15 to...
