Tag Archives: Wego

A new campaign deal has been inked between Wego and Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) for an innovative destination co-marketing campaign to boost tourism in the Emirate of Sharjah. The campaign will promote authentic tourist experiences and hidden gems exclusive to the emirate, enabling tourists to surpass traditional generic pursuits. By showcasing some of Sharjah’s biggest tourist attractions, through innovative online marketing activities, the campaign seeks to position the Emirate as a destination of choice amongst global travellers. Sharjah’s delightful mix of fun attractions, traditional hospitality and old-world charm, which resonate with a variety of audiences from around the world, will be promoted through this campaign. The campaign will focus on promoting the Emirate’s much-loved events and activities such as, but not limited to, the Sharjah International Book Fair, Sharjah Calligraphy Biennial and Sharjah Traditional Crafts Forum. “Sharjah is the perfect Middle Eastern city for travellers who wish to explore a ‘fresh’ destination packed with unique history and rich heritage and traditions,” said Mamoun Hmedan, Wego Managing Director for MENA and India. “In order to boost the emirate’s image as a family-friendly and culturally-charged destination, Wego will harness online tools such as high-impact display advertising, Search Engine Marketing (SEM), and unique content marketing tactics. Together, these digital marketing tactics seek to further strengthen SCTDA’s ongoing marketing efforts,” he added.

At the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai, Wego revealed the ‘MENA Traveller Destination Leaderboards’ that showcases the relative popularity of global destinations amongst travellers based in the MENA region. As the largest online travel marketplace across the MENA region, Wego users shop for tens of millions of trips each quarter and it’s this flight and hotel search data that has been analysed to determine the destination rankings. The leaderboard announced today is for Q1 2018 and subsequent updates will be released shortly after the close of each quarter. Egypt retains its top ranking in Q1 2018 as the most popular destination for travellers, from across the MENA region. “MENA travellers are lured by the culture, scenic attractions, and incredible food that can be experienced in Egypt”, said Mamoun Hmedan, Managing Director – MENA and India, Wego. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia retains its second ranking and received a steady mix of business, expatriate and religious travel. India at the third position and Turkey at the fourth slot stepped up one rung each in the destination leaderboard for Q1 2018 vs Q1 2017, while UAE fell from the third to the fifth position. Despite the overall drop, Dubai remains a popular destination for MENA travellers. The biggest gainer in Q1 2018 was Oman which jumped a massive 9 places to #15, an improvement likely related to the opening of a new airport in Muscat and a host of new hotels and other facilities opening in the Sultanate.

Wego, the largest online travel marketplace in the MENA region, announced their partnership with Gulf Air which will provide Wego users online access to the airline’s flight-related information and booking capabilities. “Our agreement with Gulf Air reinforces Wego’s leading position in the Middle East,” commented Dean Wicks, Chief Flights Officer, Wego. “Wego will distribute Gulf Air flights, pricing and schedule information across our extensive marketing channels, allowing travellers easy access to flights with an airline that is famous for its traditional Arabian hospitality and renowned for being family and business friendly,” Wicks continued. “Wego’s business is crucial to helping key industry providers extend into new markets in what’s become a fast paced and highly competitive business,” he added. As Gulf Air prepares to welcome 39 new Boeing and Airbus aircraft, greater network expansion is anticipated alongside significant product and service enhancements. In 2017, Wego introduced Progressive Web App (PWA) technology combined with Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP), to become the fastest loading mobile marketplace in the world.

According to a recent Pricewaterhouse Cooper report, global megatrends and their impact on the Middle East’s travel and tourism industry, highlight that travellers in the GCC now do the majority of their holiday research and booking on smartphones and tablets. Smartphone usage for the GCC markets is among the highest in the world, 78 per cent in the UAE and 77 per cent in Saudi Arabia. Due to the ubiquity of high-speed mobile internet, travellers can easily access mobile applications to book flights and hotels online, and compare online reviews. Wego, a leading travel search website for GCC travellers living in the Middle East, was the first to enter the MENA region by launching fully localised services to meet the needs of a new generation of travellers wanting to shop for and book flights and hotels on their smartphones. “The response from GCC countries to Wego’s fully Arabised websites and mobile apps has been overwhelming,” said Mamoun Hmedan, Wego Managing Director of MENA and India. “Wego has grown rapidly to become the most popular and trusted travel search service in the region with over 10 million monthly visits.”