Brands
Agoda flags Goa and Dubai as Republic Day long-weekend favourites
INDIA: Goa and Dubai have emerged as the most searched destinations for India’s Republic Day long weekend, according to Agoda, as travellers lock in plans for the January 23–26 break. Data from the online travel platform shows domestic accommodation searches more than doubled year on year, rising 115 per cent, while outbound searches climbed 63 per cent, underlining strong appetite for short, early-year getaways.
Goa topped domestic search rankings, followed by Pondicherry, which recorded a sharp 211 per cent rise in interest, and Udaipur, up 148 per cent. Among the top ten destinations, Varkala and Ooty posted the fastest growth at 188 per cent and 182 per cent respectively, while Jaipur and Varanasi also saw solid increases of 154 per cent and 142 per cent.
Internationally, Dubai led search interest for the long weekend, with year-on-year growth of about 84 per cent, followed by Phuket and Bangkok at 77 per cent and 56 per cent. Phu Quoc Island emerged as the fastest-growing overseas destination, recording more than an eleven-fold jump in searches, while Krabi rose 163 per cent and Ho Chi Minh City nearly doubled at 99 per cent.
Commenting on the trend, country director Gaurav Malik, Indian subcontinent and Indian Ocean islands at Agoda, said long-weekend travel is becoming more deliberate, with travellers blending domestic trips and nearby international destinations suited to short breaks. Agoda said it is supporting demand with value-led deals across accommodation, flights and activities, including discounts under its upcoming mega sale in February.
Brands
Lululemon picks former Nike executive to be its next chief
Heidi O’Neill, who helped grow Nike into a $45 billion giant, will take the top job in September
CANADA: Lululemon has found its next chief executive, and she comes with serious credentials. The athleisure giant named Heidi O’Neill as its new CEO on Wednesday, ending a search that has left the company running on interim leadership since earlier this year. O’Neill will take charge on September 8, 2026, based out of Vancouver, and will join the board on the same day.
O’Neill brings more than three decades of experience across performance apparel, footwear and sport. The bulk of that time was spent at Nike, where she was a central figure in one of corporate sport’s great growth stories, helping take the company from a $9 billion business to a $45 billion global powerhouse. She oversaw product pipelines, brand strategy and consumer connections, and played a significant role in shaping how Nike spoke to athletes around the world. Earlier in her career, she worked in marketing for the Dockers brand at Levi Strauss. She also brings boardroom experience from Spotify Technology, Hyatt Hotels and Lithia and Driveway.
The board was unequivocal in its enthusiasm. “We selected Heidi because of the breadth of her experience, her demonstrated success delivering breakthrough ideas and initiatives at scale, and her ability to be a knowledgeable change and growth agent,” said Marti Morfitt, executive chair of Lululemon’s board.
O’Neill, for her part, was bullish. “Lululemon is an iconic brand with something rare: genuine guest love, a product ethos rooted in innovation, and a global platform still in the early stages of its potential,” she said. “My job will be to accelerate product breakthroughs, deepen the brand’s cultural relevance, and unlock growth in markets around the world.”
Until she arrives, Meghan Frank and André Maestrini will continue as interim co-CEOs, before returning to their previous senior leadership roles once O’Neill steps in.
Lululemon is betting that a Nike veteran who helped build one of the world’s most powerful sports brands can do something similar for an athleisure label that has genuine love from its customers but is still chasing its full global potential. O’Neill has done it before at scale. The question now is whether she can do it again.
