Recap of Arival Brisbane

Recap of Arival Brisbane

From USA to APAC

Having attended Arial 360 in Washington DC last year, my expectations were to experience something similar in Brisbane. What I discovered was something much different - and better. Granted, the US market is more mature and established in our industry, but that also may be what holds it back from fresh innovation and an attitude of collaboration. When I arrived in Brisbane, the excitement and anticipation in the room was palpable. People wanted to talk, learn, engage and share their stories. People weren't 'treading lightly' around their competitors, or organizing themselves into clicks or tribes. There was a freshness, and openness and authentic curiosity that drove the spirit of the conference.

The APAC Market

The APAC region was well represented at Arival. I met with a reservation system that is based in Singapore called GlobalTix. Had meetings with Operators from all over Australia to include, Drop Bear Adventures, AirGuides, GoBoat Australia, and many more. There were consulting firms like, Tourism Tribe and Bookable Tourism, which play key roles in the educating Operators on industry best practices and different types of technology stacks. I had drinks with Leighton and Kim who are both from New Zealand representing a marketing company (Ladder and Co.) and an intelligence tool for airlines (Ancillary Box) respectively. These are just examples of the diversity of the different players in the industry that were in attendance. And yet, the spirit of curiosity remained the common thread among all of them, which was both refreshing and energizing.

What Stood Out

A few themes kept surfacing, conversation after conversation:

Collaboration over competition. Operators, consultants, and tech providers weren't guarding their turf. People introduced me to their "competitors" without a second thought, because everyone seemed to understand that what RisingTide offers the industry is positive-sum.

Right-sized technology, not just more of it. Rather than chasing every new feature, operators in APAC were asking sharper questions about what actually fits their business - their booking volume, their guests, their staff. Consultants like Tourism Tribe and Bookable Tourism exist precisely because operators want a trusted second opinion on things like strategy, distribution and even their tech stack.

Closing Thoughts

I came to Brisbane expecting a smaller version of what I'd seen in DC. I left with a completely different read on where this industry is headed. The US market has scale and maturity, but Brisbane reminded me that momentum and openness might matter more right now. If the energy in that room is any indication, APAC is setting the tone for how the industry should move forward- together, collaboratively, curiously, and without the walls.