WiT Stories: What’s your theme, and are you dreaming of your own “Mousehole”?
Release Date: 07/12/2024
Trump's tariffs. Saudi Arabia's tourism surge. Global airline demand slows.
The WiT Podcast
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,...
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Future Lanes Ep 6: Navigating The Next Wave of Travel Technology (with SAS's Caroline Bergstroem)
The WiT Podcast
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,...
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The True Power of AI. Alipay's Success in Malaysia. OTAs in UAE. Africa's Unique Path.
The WiT Podcast
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...
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Future Lanes Ep 5: The Road Ahead | Timothy O’Neil-Dunne on travel’s “technical debt”
The WiT Podcast
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...
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Blended travel rising. Loyalty points and free flights. Hybrid hospitality in APAC.
The WiT Podcast
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...
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Future Lanes Ep 4: Building Traveller-First Experiences | Ryanair CEO Eddie Wilson on Tech, Direct Distribution, and Traveller Experience
The WiT Podcast
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...
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Podcast: Singaporeans aren't as influenced by TV. Biggest travel myths. Using AI to improve connected trips.
The WiT Podcast
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...
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Future Lanes Ep 3: Let’s Talk Direct | Michel Taride on the road to disruption and discovery
The WiT Podcast
“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,...
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Future Lanes Ep 1: A Founder’s Journey | How Meili is disrupting car rental and rewriting travel tech
The WiT Podcast
“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...
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Future Lanes Ep 2: The Traveller | DAA’s Kenny Jacobs on the future of airports, retail and travel
The WiT Podcast
“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...
info_outlineOn 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.