WEGO.COM, the leading travel search site in the Middle East and Asia Pacific, continues to resonate and reach new heights with Middle Eastern travelers. Today Wego reveals the key factors integral to its success. "We attribute Wego's ongoing success and growth in the Middle East to our dedication to product development and our deep understanding of local markets," said Mamoun Hmedan, Managing Director of Wego Middle East, North Africa and India. "To enjoy success in any region you need to know your users well, but that applies even more so in this market. The travel business in MENA is loyalty driven, with Google's travel search behavior reports showing that around 50 percent of UAE and Saudi travelers stick to one brand," he added. "Combine brand loyalty with one of the fastest growing smartphone markets in the world, currently second only to Asia, and the answer is to create a responsive and relevant product to suit." Wego was the first fully localized travel app in the region, in both language and currency. In the UAE alone the mobile phone user base surpasses 606 million people, with over 80 percent of the population owning a smartphone (according to a joint eMarketer and Starcom Mediavest Group report). "Wego began building a loyal user base in early 2013 and we've committed considerable resources to developing the best mobile experience possible on our travel apps across all available platforms, including iOS and Android, and now available for wearable technology and iPad applications." Wego's travel app for iOS and Android in the Middle East has ranked consistently between No. 1 and 5 of the most popular travel apps at the iTunes and Google Play stores for over a year. Both app stores feature and recommend Wego regularly due to its intuitive and convenient design. "Wego now enjoys an average 4.4 star rating in the region, and we continue to develop further enhancements to the app experience. We've added new popular features such as Google Smart Lock, 3d touch, multitasking for iPad, app indexing and probably the best map view for hotel results in the industry," Hmedan continued. "In Saudi Arabia especially, wego.com.sa is a great fit. The response has been incredible. As an extremely spontaneous travel market, our travel apps are considered the best and most convenient travel planning solution." Wego is highly committed to the MENA travel industry and one of the few travel search sites to feature all local carriers and local online travel agents. "We've established very close relationships in support of local airlines, hotels and tourism bodies and we're looking forward to building more opportunities at the approaching Arabian Travel Market in Dubai," said Hmedan. "In fact our senior management team from Singapore headquarters will be in attendance, including Wego CEO & co-founder Ross Veitch, who is also participating at the Phocuswright Fast Track event, to share insights into ‘Online Travel — The Arabic Effect." Wego.com provides award winning travel search websites and top ranked mobile apps for travellers living in the Asia Pacific and Middle East regions. Wego harnesses powerful yet simple to use technology that automates the process of searching and comparing results from hundreds of airline, hotel and online travel agency websites. Wego presents an unbiased comparison of all travel products and prices offered in the marketplace by merchants, both local and global, and enables shoppers to quickly find the best deal and place to book whether from an airline or hotel direct, or with a third party aggregator website. Wego was founded in 2005 and is headquartered in Singapore with regional operations in Dubai, Bangalore and Jakarta. Investors include Tiger Global Management, Crescent Point Group and SquarePeg Capital. Each month Wego sends flight and hotel booking referrals worth $1.5 billion to travel partners.
