Wego’s global travel search business is seeing strong growth in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), with one in every seven flight and hotel searches made across the company’s 50+ branded and third party sites now originate in this region.
Visits to Wego’s 11 websites, comprising the MENA markets, have seen in excess of 1,000% growth since the start of 2012 from a base of English speaking Middle East users.
Fuelling this rapid growth, especially across the Middle East, is a new generation of online travellers from the region who have responded positively to the launch of Wego UAE earlier this year. The site is specifically localised for each of the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) nations in Arabic and features Middle Eastern airlines, hotel chains and travel suppliers.
The company has also launched a series of customised Arabic, English and/or French websites dedicated to travellers from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, Oman, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia.
Wego said the rapid adoption of its Middle Eastern targeted websites suggests that there is both huge untapped latent demand from consumers wanting to book travel online and that there is an important new market segment of digital natives emerging.
As this new generation of travellers have grown up with the internet they are more inclined to reach for their computer mouse rather than their phone or car keys when shopping for travel.
“Travellers here have become aware that they can take control of their travel plans and negotiate for themselves, by comparing the market online. In 2012 we’ve seen three times as many searches convert to bookings, which shows that users are increasingly comfortable transacting online, “said Dean Wicks, Wego’s VP for airline relations (pictured right).
The majority of shoppers are choosing full-service carriers.The most popular airlines for Middle East travel with Wego are Emirates (13% market share) and Qatar Airways (11%), followed by Gukf Air and Eithad Airways.
The average value of MENA flight bookings is also rising. Saudi Arabians top the list spending in excess of US$1,600 per trip, followed by Emirates with US$1,000.
Links to Asia are evident with Jet Airways, Singapore Airlines, Air India, Cathay Pacific, China Southern and Malaysia Airlines achieving the highest share. European carriers like British Airways and Lufthansa are close behind. Low cost intra-regional airlines too are seeing rapid growth on Wego.
- Emirates
- Qatar Airways
- Gulf Air
- Etihad Airways
- Jet Airways
- Egyptair
- Singapore Airlines
- Air India
- Turkish Airlines
- Cathay Pacific
- Sri Lankan Airlines
- China Southern Airlines
- Saudi Arabian Airlines
- Malaysia Airlines
- Oman Air
- Kingfisher Airlines –
- British Airways
- Lufthansa
- Royal Brunei Airlines
- Philippine Airlines
