Lin Xu, partner and advisor for China, Cambon Partners
Lin Xu will be a panelist on an Investors Roundtable at Phocuswright Europe
Here is she discusses the misconceptions people have about the investment community, her love of tours and activities and why the industry should get out and explore a little more.
What topic should we be discussing right now, and why?
What are the focuses of development and investment in online travel and travel tech in North America, Europe and APAC.
What is the most misunderstood element of your role and your company?
People think investment bankers are brokers who will sell you just anything.
In fact, Cambon prefers to drive the industry growth by strategic mergers and acquisitions or placing funds, with our deep industry knowledge.
We want to back those deals with long term success potential.
If you could change one thing about how the travel industry functions, what would it be?
People in the travel industry should travel more to see the world, to discover what your peers are doing in the other parts of the world, and partner up and consolidate with them, not to waste resources to create the same thing repeatedly in their own corners.
There are similar trends, demand and evolution of the industry evolution in different markets to be tackled in a similar manner.
In fact, there could be a central intelligence organization (think tank) to drive such information exchange.
What is the biggest opportunity in online travel in 2018?
Technology in tours and activities (or, in the broader sense, as "destination services").
What single piece of advice would you give a new business entering the travel industry
Watch a number of items very closely:
- Consumer behavior change
- Technology progress in other areas
- Disruptive players in other industries who can step into travel
Which travel-related investment do you wish you'd been involved in?
- Fareharbor
- Supply chain aggregator with personalization technology
Faced with two fairly identical businesses, what factors do you use to help you make a decision as to which one you should support?
If I like the founders or not.