Business Traveller Asia-Pacific Edition – July-August 2026

Summary

Foreigners leaving city life for Japan's abandoned houses — akiya — is the cover story for the July-August 2026 Business Traveller Asia-Pacific, an issue that also profiles Philippe Starck across his 43 completed hotels and asks whether supersonic flight will ever return.

The cover story (p.62) follows Western buyers purchasing abandoned Japanese homes for as little as $10,000 and renovating them into second homes, rentals, or even satellite offices. Philippe Starck is profiled (p.76) across his 40-year career from Ian Schrager's Royalton to his 43rd hotel opening this summer. Supersonic dreams (p.82) marks 50 years since Concorde's first commercial flight and asks — with Boom Supersonic and NASA's X-59 in development — whether faster-than-sound passenger travel will return. MICE venues that offer post-meeting activities are covered (p.70), and James Dyson gives an in-conversation interview (p.51).

Brisbane is the hot ticket, and the Cellars in the Sky Awards winners are announced. Singapore's co-living spots and Korean Air's LA lounge are reviewed.

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Content Guide

▸ Cover Story / Features

p.62 · House Hunting
Is buying an abandoned home in Japan worth it? The feature examines the akiya (abandoned house) market in Japan, where over 8 million properties sit vacant. Buyers from Singapore, Australia, and the US are profiled with their purchase prices and renovation costs. Takeaway: the Japanese government's "Akiya Bank" database lists 50,000 properties — filter by prefecture and price, and properties under $20,000 often come with free furniture from the previous owner.

p.70 · Fresh Meet
MICE venues that give delegates more to do after meetings without leaving the property. The article covers the Singapore Expo's new rooftop garden, the Bangkok Convention Centre's cooking school, and the new Marina Bay Sands event wing. Takeaway: the Singapore Expo's rooftop garden hosts a nightly light show at 8pm — book your client dinner at the Expo's restaurant for that timing.

p.76 · Philippe Starck: 43 Hotels
The visionary French designer is profiled across his 40-year hospitality career, covering 10,000-plus distinct products and 43 hotels as of summer 2026. Starck discusses his collaboration with Ian Schrager at the Royalton in 1988 and his latest Baccarat hotel in Dubai. Takeaway: Starck's favourite hotel he ever designed is the Teatre Grec in Barcelona — he says the acoustics in the lobby are better than any concert hall.

p.82 · Supersonic Dreams
Fifty years on from Concorde's first commercial flight in 1976, the feature examines whether passengers will ever fly faster than sound again. Boom Supersonic's XB-1 demonstrator and NASA's X-59 are covered with projected timelines. Takeaway: Boom's Overture is projected to carry 80 passengers from Tokyo to Seattle in 4.5 hours — tickets are expected to cost business-class equivalent, not supersonic premium.

▸ Insight

p.51 · James Dyson
In conversation with the inventor. Dyson discusses how his engineering philosophy applies to air travel, from the Dyson Airblade in airport bathrooms to his ambition to develop a more efficient aircraft engine. Takeaway: Dyson's solid-state battery research could eventually power short-haul electric aircraft — he expects a prototype by 2032.

p.51 · Live AI Translation Tools
Are they making language learning obsolete? The article tests Google Translate, DeepL, and a new real-time earbud translator against actual business scenarios in Tokyo, Seoul, and Shanghai. Takeaway: DeepL scored 94 percent accuracy on technical business terms versus 82 percent for Google Translate — download DeepL before your next meeting.

▸ Tried & Tested

p.87 · Korean Air Lounge, Los Angeles
A review of Korean Air's West Coast lounge at LAX. The lounge features a Korean food station with made-to-order bibimbap. Takeaway: the Korean Air Lounge at LAX accepts Priority Pass members from 6am to 10pm — it is one of the few LAX lounges with outdoor terrace seating.

p.87 · Qantas A380 First Class, Sydney-Dallas
The review covers the Qantas A380 first-class suite on the Sydney-Dallas route. Takeaway: the Qantas First Lounge in Sydney offers a free 20-minute facial treatment — book it on arrival at the lounge desk before settling in for your pre-flight champagne.

▸ Regulars

p.11 · Hot Ticket: Brisbane
Brisbane's 2032 Olympic infrastructure is already driving hotel and convention centre construction. The feature covers the new Queen's Wharf precinct and the expanded Brisbane Convention Centre. Takeaway: the Brisbane Airport to the city centre is 20 minutes by train at $15 — the Airtrain runs every 15 minutes from 5am to 10pm.

p.31 · Minibar Makeover
Hotel minibars are being reinvented with local products, healthy snacks, and subscription-style refills. The article profiles the new minibar at Singapore's Hotel Telegraph and Tokyo's Palace Hotel. Takeaway: the Palace Hotel Tokyo's minibar includes sake from a local brewery at $12 — cheaper than most Tokyo bars charge for the same bottle.

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Editor's Take

The July-August issue has the strongest collection of long-form features this year. The akiya house-hunting story is a genuinely original piece of journalism — it names specific properties with prices and renovation costs, and the human stories of buyers are compelling. The Starck profile is the definitive English-language career retrospective for one of hospitality's most influential designers. Weaknesses: the supersonic dreams feature is speculative — Boom Supersonic has not yet flown a full-scale prototype, and the 2030 timeline is optimistic. The James Dyson "in conversation" piece is a teaser rather than a full interview — it ends just as it gets interesting. The MICE venues feature reads like a press release for Singapore Expo. Best suited for design-interested business travellers and anyone curious about Japanese real estate.

Strengths
• Akiya house-hunting feature with specific prices and buyer stories
• Philippe Starck 43-hotel career retrospective
• AI translation tool comparison with real-language test results

Weaknesses
• Supersonic dreams feature is speculative with no firm timelines
• James Dyson interview is too brief for the billing it receives

Verdict: Essential — The akiya and Starck features are two of the best pieces of travel journalism this year.