SINGAPORE, July 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Digital travel platform Agoda reveals fresh insights into the Thai travel landscape for the first half of 2026. Based on accommodation searches made from 1 January to 10 June, for check-ins between 1 January and 30 June 2026, compared to the same period in 2025, Agoda’s data shows Malaysia leading international travel interest in Thailand, followed by South Korea, China, India, and Japan to round out the top five. 

A standout in this year’s ranking is China, which climbed from seventh place in 2025 to third in 2026, recording a 38% year-on-year growth in searches on the platform. Together, the top five reflect a diverse and growing mix of markets drawn to Thailand from across Asia.

Agoda’s insights also point to several other markets maintaining strong interest in Thailand, with Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Indonesia all featuring in the top nine. The search patterns reveal that Thailand’s appeal is not concentrated in one corner of Asia: it spans Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, and South Asia alike, making it one of the most consistently sought-after destinations in the region.

When it comes to where travelers are heading, Bangkok, Pattaya, and Phuket remain the top three destinations on Agoda’s platform based on accommodation searches, a reflection of their enduring appeal across visitor profiles. Chiang Mai holds fourth place, with searches pointing to sustained interest in Thailand’s north, while Hua Hin/Cha-am rounds out the top five as a favorite for those seeking a quieter coastal escape within easy reach of Bangkok.

Beyond the top five, the ranking reveals that travelers are increasingly looking beyond the historically popular. Destinations like Khao Yai, Kanchanaburi, and Nakhon Nayok feature among the top twenty, suggesting a growing appetite for inland and nature-focused travel. Meanwhile, island destinations including Krabi, Koh Samui, Ko Samet, and Ko Tao continue to hold strong, showing that Thailand’s coastal appeal remains as compelling as ever. Taken together, the spread of the top twenty paints a picture of a destination that offers something for every type of traveler.

Akaporn Rodkong, Country Director, Thailand and Indochina at Agoda, shared “The trends we are seeing in the first half of 2026 reinforces what we have long believed about Thailand’s position in the region. That diversity is a sign of a maturing destination, and it reflects the role Agoda plays in helping travelers discover more of what Thailand has to offer, beyond the well-known names. We remain committed to supporting Thailand’s growth as a travel destination, and to being the platform that helps people to see the world for less.”

With over 6 million holiday properties, more than 130,000 flight routes, and over 300,000 activities, Agoda offers endless possibilities for everyone. Agoda’s mobile app is the go-to platform for unbeatable deals for a quick getaway. Start planning your next adventure at www.agoda.com

• Builds on record-breaking 2025 debut with a new phase of Hilton’s It Matters Where You Stay campaign
• Music, movement and creative storytelling capture a more spontaneous, expressive side of Deepika Padukone
• Across a broad suite of content spanning movement, dining, wellness, loyalty and service, the campaign explores how the Stay helps guests feel more relaxed, confident and fully themselves

DELHI, India, July 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Hilton (NYSE: HLT) today unveiled a bold new chapter with global icon and brand ambassador, Deepika Padukone, launching internationally across social, digital, and outdoor platforms as part of a broader creative programme that will continue to roll out throughout the year. The campaign follows last year’s record-breaking debut – which commanded over 11 billion views across all social and digital platforms.

The work gives viewers a glimpse into a new side of Deepika as she travels, underpinned by Hilton’s hospitality, which allows her to truly express herself – staying as authentic as she always is – while bringing a playful and fresh cultural energy to the It Matters Where You Stay campaign in India.

Shot at Conrad Bengaluru, the campaign is inspired by a simple truth about modern travel. When people leave home, they often leave behind the routines and support systems that help them navigate everyday life.

For Hilton, this reinforces the importance of the Stay as the ecosystem guests rely on when they travel. Away from familiar routines and the people who help them navigate everyday life, guests are met by Hilton Team Members, thoughtfully designed spaces, seamless technology and the benefits of Hilton Honors, all working together to anchor them while they are away from home. Together, they create the comfort and confidence to enable guests to focus on what matters most and be fully themselves.

“People often think about travel in terms of destinations, but for us, it’s about hospitality – the Stay – that makes the trip possible,” said Mark Weinstein, chief marketing officer and head of Luxury Brands, Hilton. “A Hilton Stay helps our guests make the most of why they came. Travel is exciting, but it can also be demanding. When travel takes people from their routines, the Stay becomes even more important. Our Team Members ensure everything is taken care of, giving guests the comfort and confidence to focus on what truly matters, turning everyday moments into expressions of confidence and playfulness. Deepika brings that feeling to life beautifully in this campaign and captures the ease that comes when everything around you simply works.”

Throughout the campaign, Deepika reveals a more spontaneous and instinctive side of her personality. Comfortable in her surroundings and fully present in the moment, she reflects what becomes possible when the Stay removes friction and allows guests to simply enjoy the journey.

Deepika Padukone said: “What I connected with most about this campaign is how true it felt to the experience of staying with Hilton. When you feel genuinely comfortable and looked after, you stop overthinking and can simply be yourself. That sense of ease gave us the freedom to have fun with the creative.”

The campaign comes to life through a broad suite of content. Across dining, wellness, loyalty and the care delivered by Hilton Team Members every day, the work brings to life the feeling of having people around you who understand what you need, help you feel looked after and give you the confidence to be fully yourself while travelling.

Music and movement sit at the heart of the campaign’s treatment. Hilton worked with acclaimed creative collaborators including GRAMMY Award-winning director Nadia Marquard Otzen and globally recognised choreographer Shay Latukolan to create work that feels emotionally engaging, culturally relevant and entertainment led.

Featuring an original soundtrack, by award-winning music producer and composer Mikey McCleary, the film combines electronic influences with contemporary Indian vocals to mirror Deepika’s energy throughout the story – confident, relaxed and fully herself. Together, the music and choreography help bring Hilton’s vision of modern hospitality to life in a distinctive and culturally resonant way.

As Hilton continues to accelerate its growth across India, with an aim of reaching 400 trading hotels in the coming years, the campaign underscores the company’s deep understanding of modern travellers. Today’s guests seek more than just a place to stay; they value convenience, authenticity and a meaningful engagement. Hilton’s focus on removing friction and delivering intuitive, human hospitality ensures that it continues to meet and exceed those expectations.

At its heart, the campaign celebrates the role Hilton plays when guests are away from the people, routines and support systems they rely on every day. Whether through its Team Members taking pride in looking after guests, the experiences it creates or the ways it rewards loyal guests, Hilton becomes part of that support system – helping people feel understood, supported and free to focus on what matters most. And that’s why, more than ever, Hilton is For the Stay.

For more information about ‘Hilton. For The Stay’ and to plan your future stays, visit https://www.hilton.com/en-IN/.

About Hilton

Hilton (NYSE: HLT) is a leading global hospitality company with a portfolio of 28 world-class brands comprising more than 9,200 properties and over 1.3 million rooms, in 144 countries and territories. Dedicated to fulfilling its founding vision to fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality, Hilton has welcomed over 4 billion guests in its more than 100-year history. Named as the No. 1 World’s Best Workplace by Great Place to Work and Fortune, Hilton aims to create the best culture for its 500,000 team members around the world. Hilton has introduced industry-leading technology enhancements to improve the guest experience, including Digital Key Share, automated complimentary room upgrades and the ability to book confirmed connecting rooms. Through the award-winning guest loyalty program Hilton Honors, the more than 250 million Hilton Honors members who book directly with Hilton can earn Points for hotel stays and experiences money can’t buy. With the free Hilton Honors app, guests can book their stay, select their room, check in, unlock their door with a Digital Key and check out, all from their smartphone. Visit stories.hilton.com for more information, and connect with Hilton on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube. 

HONG KONG, July 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — PhotonPay, the next-generation financial operating system, today announced that its Global Checkout solution now supports Apple Pay and Google Pay, enabling one-touch payments across major markets without additional development.

The integration is available immediately through PhotonPay’s embedded checkout, giving merchants instant access to digital wallet payments alongside Visa, Mastercard, JCB, and a growing suite of local payment methods worldwide.

The Wallet-First World Is Here

The timing reflects a structural shift already underway. According to Worldpay’s 2026 Global Payments Report, digital wallets now account for 56% of global e-commerce transactions and 33% of point-of-sale volume — a combined $13.8 trillion in transaction value, cementing their status as the world’s leading payment method.

Apple Pay and Google Pay sit at the center of that momentum, commanding a combined 30–35% market share across North America and Europe. The reason for their dominance is straightforward: biometric authentication replaces form fields. A fingerprint or face scan replaces a card number, billing address, and expiry date.

Less Friction, More Revenue

PhotonPay’s Global Checkout is built around a single principle: every unnecessary step between intent and purchase is a lost sale. With Apple Pay and Google Pay now embedded as primary checkout options, merchants benefit from:

• Higher conversion rates: Compressing multi-step checkout into a single biometric tap recovers high-intent orders that traditional forms lose at the finish line.

• Mobile-native commerce: Fully responsive across desktop, mobile, and any other terminal, the checkout meets consumers wherever they are in their journey.

• Smarter payment processing: Machine learning optimisation — including ISO alterations, smart MCC routing, and automatic retries — maximises authorisation rates and keeps processing costs down.

• Multi-currency settlement: Settle in the same currencies customers pay in, with no unnecessary FX conversions and fees.

Why PhotonPay

Apple Pay and Google Pay are the latest additions to the financial OS designed for global scale. PhotonPay’s Global Checkout also supports major stablecoins like USDT and USDC, giving merchants a single checkout layer that accepts both fiat and digital assets, settles automatically, and adapts to new payment methods without pushing new code.

Beyond the checkout layer, PhotonPay brings capabilities that matter to global operators:

• Market coverage: Active in Hong Kong, Europe, North America, and Southeast Asia, with local licences and acquiring relationships that accelerate time-to-payment in each market.

• Vertical-specific solutions: Tailored for global e-commerce (conversion-focused), gaming and digital entertainment (multi-currency settlement speed), and platform businesses (split payments and fund aggregation).

• Compliance and risk infrastructure: Over 20 payment and financial licences globally, backed by a real-time intelligent risk engine that keeps every transaction compliant, transparent, and fully traceable.

• Local market expertise: Regulatory knowledge, payment behaviour insights, and commercial context built through hands-on experience in each region.

This launch is one move in a longer game. As digital wallet adoption continues to accelerate and consumer expectations evolve, PhotonPay will continue expanding its local payment coverage. Seamless payment isn’t just a checkout feature, it’s the foundation of global commerce.

About PhotonPay

PhotonPay is a stablecoin-powered financial operating system built for global infrastructure. Designed for modern enterprises, PhotonPay enables businesses to send, receive, convert, and settle funds across both fiat and stablecoin rails through a single, compliance-first integration, spanning 200+ countries and territories.

For more information, visit [www.photonpay.com].

HONG KONG, July 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Master Concept Co-Founder Dennis Wong was invited to join the Citi Commercial Bank Hong Kong Executive Summit 2026 as a panellist for the session, “Asia’s Digital Anchor: Bridging Hong Kong’s AI and Technology Landscape with Global Market Opportunities.”

The panel brought together business and technology leaders to discuss how Hong Kong can connect Asia’s fast-evolving AI and technology landscape with global market opportunities. During the session, Wong shared Master Concept’s experience in supporting enterprises and local companies as they adopt AI, strengthen cybersecurity capabilities, and expand across regional and international markets.

As AI adoption accelerates globally, Master Concept sees growing demand for enterprises in Asia to move beyond experimentation and build a secure foundation for scalable AI deployment. This includes not only AI education and technical enablement, but also stronger governance, identity and access control, and cross-functional alignment between innovation and security teams.

“AI adoption is no longer just a technology discussion. It is becoming a business, security, and organisational readiness discussion,” said Dennis Wong, Co-Founder of Master Concept. “As enterprises explore new AI use cases, security and governance need to be built into the foundation from the beginning.”

Following its recent Secure AI Agent Workshop in Hong Kong, Master Concept will continue helping enterprise teams understand how AI agents can be deployed securely in real-world environments. A second workshop is currently in planning. Interested enterprise teams can register their interest at:
https://forms.gle/K5NTU1MNRsdArCDU9

About Master Concept

Master Concept has over 20 years of experience in the Asia-Pacific region, providing cloud strategy, implementation, technical support, and customised training to more than 3,000 clients across industries. The company’s solutions span collaboration and AI tools, cybersecurity, analytics and marketing, and geospatial technologies. With consultant teams across Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, China, and an expanded presence in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia, Master Concept works closely with leading global technology partners to deliver tailored solutions that support sustainable business growth.

A milestone roughly 7 times rarer than a “Unicorn” — reached by Hong Kong’s first virtual insurer

HONG KONG, July 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Bowtie, Hong Kong’s first virtual insurer^[1], today announced it has crossed US$100 million in Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR)^[2] — reaching the global technology benchmark known as “Centaur” status^[3], a milestone roughly 7 times rarer than a “Unicorn”.

A “Centaur” is widely seen as a more meaningful benchmark than a US$1 billion “Unicorn” valuation, as it reflects real, repeated decisions by real customers to keep paying for services they value.

Achieving this in one of the world’s most traditional, relationship-driven insurance markets — and in just 7 years from founding — places Bowtie among the fastest-growing technology companies in the world.

Bowtie reached this scale by staying true to its core mission: delivering affordable, pure-protection products that are transparent and highly accessible. Every dollar of revenue represents our customers’ trust and affirmation of our products.

Today, Bowtie is trusted by over 150,000 customers — roughly 1 in every 50 Hong Kong residents — with a total protection amount of US$20 billion^[2]. Its flagship VHIS products account for nearly 50,000 in-force policies, with VHIS ARR up 40% year on year^[2].

Even while growing quickly, Bowtie has maintained a customer retention rate of over 93%^[2]. In insurance, persistence is the truest measure of trust: customers only renew, year after year, when a product genuinely serves them. Sustaining persistence this high while scaling fast is rare — and it is the clearest sign that the model is working for customers, not just for the company.

“First, we want to thank our team for believing in the mission. Today, on average, every Bowtie employee supports US$500,000 in ARR, and carries US$100 million in protection coverage for society. We take real pride in that efficiency — because it is what lets us deliver the highest value, and the deepest trust, to our customers,” said Michael Chan, CEO and Co-Founder of Bowtie.

The milestone carries meaning beyond Hong Kong. As the first virtual insurer in one of Asia’s most competitive financial markets, Bowtie’s trajectory signals to regulators, partners and investors across the region that, a purely digital, agent-free insurance model is not only viable at scale — it offers a compelling alternative to traditional models, built on high efficiency and deep customer trust.

“Seven years ago, we set out to prove that insurance could be built differently. It is rare for any startup to reach US$100 million in ARR at this speed and scale — and rarer still to do it while staying true to 100% pure-protection products, with healthy claims, strong retention and sound economics. We are proud of that discipline. But we see this not as a finish line — it is a floor we intend to build on, for Hong Kong and for the rest of Asia,” said Fred Ngan, Co-Founder of Bowtie.

To celebrate this milestone, Bowtie is delighted to roll out an exclusive promotion:

• Bowtie’s Insurance Flash Offer (From now until 30 July 2026): Applicants who apply for designated Bowtie insurance products via the online platform using the promo code “CENTAUR” can enjoy a 10-month premium waiver^[4][5].

About Bowtie

Bowtie Life Insurance Company Limited is an authorized life insurance company and Hong Kong’s very first virtual insurer authorized by the Insurance Authority under the fast track pilot scheme. Its vision is to bridge the health protection gap and transform the way people access healthcare in Asia. Through digital technology, Bowtie makes health insurance more affordable and accessible for individuals and small-medium enterprises.

To date, Bowtie has raised over HK$1 billion from Sun Life Financial and Mitsui & Co., providing over HK$150 billion in protection amount to families. Learn more at www.bowtie.com.hk.