Iain Manley

Founder, VoiceMap

Iain Manley is a pioneering entrepreneur and the founder of VoiceMap, the world’s leading platform for self-guided audio tours. Under his leadership, the VoiceMap app has been installed by over a million travelers, featuring a global library of nearly 1,000 publishers across 600 destinations. Since its launch in 2014, the platform has revolutionized the “slow travel” movement, empowering local storytellers and experts to earn over $1 million in royalties while sharing their unique perspectives with a global audience.

 

Before entering the travel-tech space, Iain spent a decade documenting the world through Old World Wandering, a seminal travel blog praised by National Geographic Traveler for its thoughtful, culture-driven narratives. His professional vision is deeply informed by his own extensive travels, including a landmark 18-month overland journey from London to Shanghai. Driven by a passion for authentic human connection, Iain has built VoiceMap into a space where personal anecdotes and emotions transform ordinary locations into extraordinary experiences, bridging the gap between historical context and modern discovery.

Sessions

April 9, Thursday
Venue: Innovation City Cape Town  

 

OTAs: The Next Frontier

 

As we enter The Next 20, online travel agencies face a new frontier shaped by AI interfaces, shifting traveller trust, regional platform strength, and new paths to discovery and booking. Will OTAs become invisible infrastructure, intelligent trip partners, or powerful super-platforms? And as travellers gain more tools and control, how must intermediaries evolve to stay essential? This session brings together global and regional OTA leaders to examine where value will be created next – from product and payments to partnerships and localisation – and how competitive dynamics between global giants and homegrown champions will play out across emerging markets. Expect candid perspectives on what OTAs must reinvent, defend, and double down on in the next era of travel distribution.

 

Speakers:

Andy Hedley, CEO, Travelstart
Albert Fernando, CEO, Travelwings 

Bayo Adedeji, Group Chief Executive Officer, Wakanow

 

Moderator:

Yeoh Siew Hoon, Founder, WiT