SINGAPORE – It’s been a momentous time for online travel and on the cusp of a new decade, the WiT Singapore 2019 conference – being held Oct 14-16 – will take a bird’s eye view of the industry and project into the future of what travel could look like in 2020 and beyond.
WiT Singapore 2019 at Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre will kick off with its Innovation Stage on October 14, which will put the spotlight on a fresh crop of start-ups through its annual competition and unearth new opportunities in markets such as Myanmar and Mekong, Africa, the Chinese youth market and the Middle East, as well as verticals such as corporate travel, fintech and tours and activities.
The WiT Main Stage (Oct 15-16) will look under the covers of the industry and examine what established online travel brands such as Expedia, Agoda, Booking.com and TripAdvisor are doing as they face competition in Asian markets from younger brands, like Trip.com and Traveloka, as well as the rise of superapps within China and beyond.
Payments will be a hot topic as fintech converges with travel, and fraud protection and prevention are also on the table as travel ecommerce grows – how can travel merchants increase conversions with confidence without compromising the user experience?
And as travel moves towards experiences, WiT will look at a future that goes beyond the hotel room, airline seat, cruise cabin, or tour bus seat to examine how accommodation and transport providers are adapting their business models to provide services customers of the future are after.
OTAs and their relationship with hotels are also expected to attract interest. Recent news around the Marriott-Expedia partnership and what it implies with regards to rate parity and the leakage of wholesale rates will be brought to the forefront of discussions, as hoteliers wrestle for loyalty and direct distribution in a changing marketplace.
WiT Singapore 2019, in its 15th year, will field more than 130 speakers who will blend global expertise and oversight with local and regional insights in WiT signature style. It is expected to attract about 500 delegates.
Check out the programme here: https://www.witevents.com/witsingapore2019/programme/