Tag Archives: Stuart Crighton

Cleartrip released new research findings and travel trends through its ‘Travel Insights Report’, disclosing an optimistic consumer sentiment for travel despite the current challenging environment. Commenting on the report announcement, Stuart Crighton, Founder and CEO, Cleartrip, said, “One of the keys to recovery will be the travel industry’s ability to respond to the changing needs of passengers and our survey provides insight into latest traveller sentiments. While it is encouraging that travellers are eager to travel again, it is the responsibility of the industry to build confidence and enable customers to make the right travel decisions with accurate real-time information on safety and travel requirements.” Adding to the findings and Insights Report reveal, Amit Taneja, CCO, Cleartrip said, “The pandemic has had a significant impact on customer behaviour. We anticipated safety and uncertainty to be a primary determinant of travel plans. In an attempt to increase customer confidence to travel, we have built TravelSafe and Flexifly, with the objectives of providing a curated view on all safety concerns that customers may have around travel and providing them with the flexibility to amend their booking with no additional charges, in case of a change in plans.”

Following an intense week of consultation with key stakeholders in its Dubai event, scheduled for April 7, WiT has decided to move its Middle East edition to November 24, 2020. The uncertainty over the developing COVID-19 situation in the region has made it hard to plan for the one-day event. “Our partners were telling us that with the situation so fluid and changing everyday, it would be challenging to put on the event in a month’s time,” said Yeoh Siew Hoon, Founder, WiT. “With the industry in damage control mode, and uncertainty over travel advisories and bans by countries and companies, everyone is currently too distracted and we felt we wouldn’t be able to focus on delivering a quality event. The good news is, we are staying in the same venue, Jumeirah Emirates Towers, and we thank our partners for accommodating this change in plans, and we promise we will return stronger. By then, things will be back in full swing and everyone will have great stories and lessons to share,” he added. Ross Veitch, CEO and co-founder of Wego, one of the event’s two Foundation Sponsors, said, “Things are in a state of flux right now but knowing the Middle East  market as we do, we know it will be resilient, and the fundamentals are there for a strong recovery.” Stuart Crighton, CEO and founder of Cleartrip, Foundation Sponsor of WiT Middle East, echoed his disappointment, saying, “It’s a tough call – it would have been hard to get 100 per cent attention and attendance because of the evolving nature of the problem. We look forward to the return of a stronger WiT on November 24.”

Cleartrip has agreed to buy Saudi Arabia-based Flyin to strengthen its control in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, which is home to a large population of tech-savvy consumers. Together, the combined company will have over 60 per cent market share throughout the Middle East. This transaction, the largest in the travel space in MENA, will offer Cleartrip a wider outreach and a larger client base in a key market, providing economies of scale as well as enhanced competencies and regional knowledge. Cleartrip has recorded rapid growth year-on-year since the company launched its regional operations in 2012 to become the largest OTA in Middle East. Stuart Crighton, Founder and CEO of Cleartrip, said, “We are pushing ahead with our ambitious expansion plans in the MENA region, and together with Flyin, we have reached a major milestone in our journey. The deal represents the culmination of our search for a strategic partner that has outstanding market association in Saudi Arabia and shares our business ethos and principles. Building on Saudi Arabia’s evolving entrepreneurial ecosystem, Flyin has firmly established itself as the leading player in the Kingdom’s online travel market. With its strong customer base and rich travel offerings, Flyin is the natural partner for us in the region. We will leverage each other’s strengths to enhance product development and customer experience.”

As part of its efforts to make travel simple for its customers, Cleartrip, a leading online travel company in the Middle East, announced the integration of Apple Pay on its mobile application. With the launch of Apple’s digital wallet in the UAE, Cleartrip customers can now look forward to a quicker and safer way to check out on the Cleartrip mobile app. Apple Pay supports all devices running iOS 11 and works with iPhone SE, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus and later and Apple Watch. “As the preferred travel partner of consumers in the UAE as well as the wider region, we are dedicated to building industry-leading travel solutions. Addressing our customers’ needs, like easy payment options, is at the heart of why we launched Apple Pay on the Cleartrip app,” said Stuart Crighton, Founder & CEO of Cleartrip. Customers using Apple Pay to purchase on the Cleartrip iOS app will benefit from an instant discount of AED 100 on flights. Apple rolled out Apple Pay in the UAE from October 24, 2017 in a move that is expected to revolutionise the country’s digital economy.