Virtuoso CEO: What makes travel agents priceless?
Virtuoso, a global network of travel designers, has existed for more than 30 years – way before the Internet forced travel agents to stop acting as order takers and start being real advisors. Founder Matthew Upchurch never stops exhorting that message to agents. The CEO of Virtuoso talks about how to get more Asian travel experts into its fold.
Newsmaker: Vaissie keeps International SOS on crisis watch
THE lack of an adequate emergency and medical system in Asia three decades ago was what prompted Arnaud Vaissie, chairman and CEO of International...
Keeping faith
PATA Sri Lanka Chapter welcomed its youngest-ever chairperson in July – Dmitri Cooray, who at 30 years old is also operations manager at Jetwing Hotels. He reflects on one of the most turbulent times in the history of Sri Lankan tourism
Driving ITB’s brand strategy
Easy to grow an established brand like ITB that has 51 years of history behind it? Trust the Germans to be prudent and never...
Skipping ahead of competition
With 2023 inventory almost sold out, all future cruise credits utilised, and more than half of its Asia-Pacific customer population being new-to-brand, Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ senior vice president and managing director Asia Pacific, Steve Odell says the luxury brand is ready for a brilliant new year
Transporting Singapore hospitality to London
Pan Pacific London marks the brand’s foray into Europe. Its tagline is ‘Authentically Singaporean, distinctively British’. General manager Anne Golden, who is also Pan Pacific Hotels Group’s vice president operations for UK & North America, spills what it is like to interpret and transport Singapore hospitality to world city London
Shaping a wellness culture
As executive vice president and chief wellness officer, Shimizu Shinichiro has a critical role to play at Japan Airlines. He is tasked with moulding a conducive mental and physical environment for a priority community – the company’s employees – that will ultimately determine the airline’s performance
Windows to the world
From tech-generated recommendations to personalised experiences taking a front seat, it’s clear that today’s travellers want greater customisation and deeper immersion from their trips. Travel industry leaders tells why such experiential trends are booming, and what they seek for in their own travels.
Collaborate for good
Gel Gomez, general mananger of Hotel101 Group, sheds light on how the hospitality industry can work together to drive sustainable initiatives that enable innovation and business advantage
Positive impact
A chartered financial analyst by training, Eu Chin Fen is now Frasers Hospitality CEO, overseeing international hospitality and global lodging business
