Web in Travel (WiT) 2025

Web in Travel (WiT), Asia's leading travel technology conference, has unveiled its theme for 2025: The Next 20. Scheduled for 6-8 October 2025 at Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre, WiT Singapore will celebrate its 20th anniversary by focusing on the future, examining the major transformations set to shape the next two decades of travel.

Having documented the journey from dial-up to deep tech, WiT has captured the evolution of travel throughout the digital era. Now, with the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence, shifting demographics, and societal changes altering the global landscape, The Next 20 will delve into how travel must innovate to remain relevant, resilient, and human-centric. The program will prompt delegates to ponder: Will AI redefine how we discover and book travel—or fundamentally change the traveller's mindset? Will the fusion of science and art ignite a new travel renaissance? What will happen to intermediaries when the funnel flattens and choice turns into conversation?

“As we embark on The Next 20, we’re not just looking ahead, we’re mastering reinvention,” said Siew Hoon Yeoh, co-founder and CEO of Web in Travel. “From the days of dial-up to the rise of mobile and social, we’ve ridden every wave of disruption, and now AI is our fastest train yet. Travel sits at the epicenter of a perfect storm: technological acceleration, shifting demographics and seismic societal change, with Asia as its axis – connected, curious and hungry to explore. The Next 20 belongs to the bold: those who can see what’s coming, build what’s needed and lead with imagination, not just innovation.”

In celebration of its 20th anniversary, Web in Travel (WiT) has conducted interviews with three influential figures in the industry: Morris Sim, an entrepreneur-turned-educator and a trailblazer in social travel marketing; Timothy O’Neil-Dunne, a principal at the travel technology consultancy T2Impact; and Deep Kalra, the founder and group chairman of MakeMyTrip. They discussed their forecasts for the future of travel, covering topics from infrastructure reform to emotional transformation.

Trend 1: Morris Sim: travel is the antidote to digital isolation

Sim believes travel’s greatest value isn’t transactional, it’s transformational. “Truth has become contextual. Nations don’t need firewalls anymore; people build them themselves,” he says, pointing to the social media bubbles reshaping human perception. “But when you follow someone’s itinerary from Instagram and encounter things they didn’t mention, that’s where the world opens up.” He also calls for reinvention within hospitality. “Quiet luxury is rising; it’s not about bling anymore, it’s about craftsmanship and service,” he says. But staffing remains a crisis: “We have more jobs than people willing to take them. Not everything can be automated. We need to make this industry a career people aspire to; not one they flee.”

Trend 2: Timothy O’Neil-Dunne: AI agents will outpace travel brands

O’Neil-Dunne believes the next two decades will be defined by a reckoning, not just of tech, but of trust. “We’ve made it so difficult for consumers to buy travel… with all the add-ons and opaque pricing… that they’ve lost faith in brands,” he says. “AI agents will be trusted more than suppliers themselves. That’s a steep hill for many to climb.” He’s unapologetically critical of airline rhetoric around “retail.” “They haven’t grasped what real e-commerce looks like.” He believes the future will be led by companies that understand true merchandising, and warns that legacy systems are now the biggest roadblock. “We need to rebuild the back end to support smart, contextual agents. Hope is not a strategy.”

Trend 3: Deep Kalra: India’s future as a tourism superpower depends on sustainability Kalra sees India’s tourism potential accelerating, but only if sustainability takes center stage. “India has all the makings of a top global destination,” he says. “But we need to build model destinations, fix lastmile connectivity, and retain visitors for two to three days with meaningful experiences.” He predicts India’s sustainable tourism market will surge from $37 million to $216 million in the next decade, yet warns that only 1-2% of current activity qualifies as sustainable. “We must integrate carrying capacity into our planning. Overtourism is already straining our hotspots, we need resilience.” He also sees mixed reality and slow travel gaining traction. “Urbanization will drive a craving for silence and authenticity. Travel’s emotional currency can’t be digitized – it’s what makes the experience transformative.”

These insights will take center stage at WiT Singapore 2025 and it will gather global travel tech leaders to explore the theme “Fueling the Next 20”, with sessions on AI, infrastructure, sustainability, and the future of customer experience. The speaker lineup embodies the event’s progressive agenda, featuring voices from the global travel and tech ecosystem. Notable speakers include leaders from Expedia Group, Booking.com, Klook, JetBlue Ventures, Trip.com, GlobalTix, and others.

The program will feature WiT’s renowned Coffee Chats, debates, and panels, along with exclusive sessions like the Next Generation Leaders Unconference and the Global Travel Tech Thinktank. Covering topics from AI’s role in discovery and distribution to the future of travel talent and sustainability, WiT Singapore 2025 is set to be a platform for bold ideas and visionary individuals shaping the future.

The theme of empowerment resonated throughout WiT Singapore: The Next 20, where the emphasis shifted from extraction to creation. Speakers such as Agoda’s CEO Omri Morgenshtern acknowledged, “We are investing in disrupting ourselves and in things we normally wouldn’t have done.” There was a consensus that the industry needs to evolve, maintaining a traveller-centric and collaborative approach, even when the future is uncertain.

Morris Sim, Executive Director of Montara Hospitality, encapsulated Trisara’s enduring success with one word: “Harmony - for guests, with our local community, and with the planet.” With 90% of the staff being locals and many having served for over a decade, it’s evident that human connection is central to hospitality. “We use digital to attract customers,” Morris noted, “but humans serve our guests.”

The emphasis on human connection was strong at WiT Singapore, particularly for Trip.com Group COO Xing Xiong, a technologist at heart. He reminded the audience that “AI is just one of the milestones of human advancement. It’s an empowerment, not a replacement. Trillions are being invested out of fear. But there are too many unknowns,” he stated. “At our scale, resources are limited. So, it’s crucial to make safe decisions – to focus on things with the best potential for long-term value.” Despite Trip.com’s scale and sophistication, Xiong’s philosophy remains rooted in passion and purpose. “AI doesn’t have passion. People do,” he said simply. “That passion, that willingness to solve problems – that’s our greatest asset.”

Visit the official WiT Singapore 2025 website.