Saudi Gazette DUBAI – Saudi Arabia is ahead in the travel industry that is undergoing major transformation, according to industry leaders participating in this year's 24th edition of the Arabian Travel Market, a global B2B exhibition showcasing over 2,800 products and destinations from around the world. "In Saudi Arabia, millennials spend 2.5 times more in travel more than anyone else and their demands are changing all the time," Travelport's senior manager of communications in the region Siobhan McCarthy told Saudi Gazette. Around 65% of the population in Saudi Arabia are under the age of 30 and will make up 75% of the population by 2030. McCarthy further said millennials are looking for more experiential travel where they want to maximize their experience in immersing in a culture. Asked how the travel commerce platform has studied Saudis' habits, McCarthy said the company goes beyond working as a global distribution system and has powered sales for airlines, hotels, car hire with travel agencies as well as providing customer choice and personalization through travel solutions. Saudi customers tend to opt for online travel purchases and personalized bookings. The company has agreements with local airlines and travel agencies in the Kingdom, the latest being with Nesma Airlines this week during the exhibition. "The young generation is passionate about travel. Almost 50% use the latest technology through their smartphones," said Ibrahim Elmohandes, Travelport's country manager in Saudi Arabia. "They like personalized services through apps making their bookings on their own the way they like." Having an app during travel is a must and makes travel easier, especially that people use their smartphone all day long and depend on it, according to Rafael Hernandez, director of airline solutions at Travelport Digital. "Not many airlines realize this and decide not to invest in an app. Those who do, however, have seen gratifying results and profitability," he said. "What some chief technology officers neglect is having a long-term digital strategy that sets a roadmap of releases and updates." It's small details that make an app easy to use, has valuable functionality and increases the engagement of customers, he added, pointing to live updates of flight changes, gate notifications, and other real-time features. Asked about the future of technologies in the travel industry, Hernandez pointed to chat bots where users can communicate with artificial intelligence that can answer travelers' queries and assist them. "This will significantly reduce the cost in operations," he noted.
