Raini Hamdi

India is ideal for aerial taxi services, and while Uber decides if that’s where its first Uber Air international city will be, local startup JetSetGo simply gets going with a new SkyShuttle service that will provide it with insights for future air mobility.

The acquisition of Destinations of the World seals WebBeds as the second largest B2B bedbank player, but incumbent Hotelbeds need not worry – for a very long time.

Grab is the go-to for motor companies wanting a piece of Southeast Asia’s future mobility market, as Hyundai’s additional tenfold investment shows.

A new history is being charted for Movenpick and Swissotel, two Swiss hotel brands that are now under Accor, and much of that action is happening in the Asia-Pacific region. Asian owners and Accor competitors are watching closely.

Our first Asia Editor, Raini Hamdi, starts with us today and shares how she intends to cover the vast, fast, diverse, and dynamic region of Asia. Apart from remembering to breathe deeply, she'll be focusing on the stories that count.

2018 will see greater numbers of Asian luxury travelers, but also greater challenges to meet more complex needs. As these travelers want to play in Asia, new high-end agencies are entering, while old ones are restructuring, creating new luxury divisions, or launching new luxury brands.

Hong Kong-based Klook has selected the Americas as its first stop for expansion outside Asia. To beat the deeply entrenched competition, it will have to find partners that can adapt to the needs of Asian travelers.

China has initiated the formation of a new world tourism organization. The UNWTO, WTTC and PATA are exceedingly polite about it, but there are undercurrents of uneasiness about how much influence the new China-led World Tourism Alliance can wield.

While demand for flights from China to the U.S. is down, it is rising to Canada, which is enjoying new peaks in Chinese arrivals. No Trump Slump in Canada, which is visa-friendly, welcoming and appealing to free-spirited millennials.

TripAdvisor has expanded its food delivery service outside the U.S. and Canada, part of its strategy to grow non-hotel revenues. More travelers can chow on crisp-fried shrimp paste chicken comfortably in their rooms. Hotels have no choice but to say bon appetit.