TRAVELLERS from Saudi Arabia now form the largest user base of metasearch engine Wego out of all the Gulf states, with trending overseas destinations including Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur.
According to Mohamad Ibrahim Masri, managing director, Wego Middle East and North Africa: “Travellers from Saudi Arabia are now considering (flight and accommodation) options at over 2,000 destinations for trips this summer, representing a huge opportunity for the industry.
“Almost seven in 10 transactions online are for air ticket purchases averaging over US$1,600, the highest in the region. Accommodation is also averaging almost US$900 per booking.”
On what Saudi Arabian travellers were searching for, Jakarta made up eight per cent of search volumes to August, more than doubling in three years. Istanbul and Kuala Lumpur are also gaining traction.
For inbound, Wego singled out the United Arab Emirates as seeing strong demand especially for flights from Asia. South Asia dominates a quarter of the total, with growth from Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia also registered.
“Travel suppliers and intermediaries from the Gulf states should now be building their brands to cater to new online audiences in these markets, especially the burgeoning middle classes demonstrating greater purchasing power and intent,” said Masri.
The press release credited the spike in demand for flights to UAE to the recent Emirates and Qantas alliance (TTG Asia e-Daily, March 27, 2013), Etihad Airways and Virgin Australia’s codeshare pact and Etihad’s newly minted agreement with Air France, resulting in a boost for major hubs in the UAE.
