Tourism & Hospitality | Thursday 15 January, 2015 3:55 pm |

-Technology to play a key role in Middle East travel for this year

-Travellers will be looking for all-round travel experiences


In a media round table hosted by Amuda Goueli, CEO and cofounder of Destinia.com, the online travel agency revealed this year’s trends for the travel industry in the Middle East.
At the event, a select number of some of the industry’s media shared their questions with Mr. Goueli and Ines Chueca (Strategic Partnerships Manager for Destinia) who provided their thoughts and expertise for the interactive session. The results of the discussion went live on Twitter under #DestiniaTrendsME, re-instating the modern and fresh approach to travel that Destinia is bringing to the region.
Some of the outcomes of the discussion put Dubai under the spotlight as a speedily-developing travel hub and as the top hotel destination for Destinia’s travellers in the region. The Destinia experts emphasised Dubai’s growth prospects, noting that after DXB announcement as the world’s busiest airport, the city is set to grow, not only as a transit point, but as a destination for different types of travellers, including families, and culture seekers. This was illustrated through the results from their partnership with DTCM, which has resulted in 138 percent sales growth to Dubai through Destinia.com.
“Personally, Dubai is my favourite destination at the moment,” said Ines. “It is a mixed place, where you can discover new things every day, and meet people from all over the world,” she added. “It is an experience of its own.”
Turkey, Germany, Barcelona (Spain) and USA were noted among the hottest destinations for Middle East travellers in 2015. This year, however, travellers will be searching for experiences above destinations. Both representatives highlighted the importance of personalisation for the 2015 travellers, who are after one-of-a-kind experiences above mainstream destination trends.
“Destinia.com adapts to customers’ needs through the entire process of holiday planning,” said Goueli. “Now you can for instance book a trip to Europe through a first class airline, and travel within the continent with a mix of budget airlines, all in two clicks and no complications.” Personalisation includes service customer attention: Destinia was a pioneer in offering its website in Arabic and is looking to have specific staff at their call centre for each of MENA countries.
To conclude with, Goueli pointed out that “More than 40 percent of online travel bookings in the MENA region, through Destinia.com are made through mobile devices”. The last highlight of the roundtable was related to the role of technology, with wearable and mobile devices set to play a key role in the travel industry both worldwide and in the region.
Destinia’s own Google Glass glassware HotelNearMe was first in the sector and had great reception at last year’s Arabian Travel Market. Its migration into the mobile app was proudly announced as the meeting came to an end.
When asked about the agency’s growth, Amuda went straight to the heart of the brand: “Our customers in the Middle East trust us. That is why are growing.”
Destinia.com successfully celebrated their first anniversary in Dubai, where they are establishing great success in the online travel market. With unique services and care for their customers, the online travel agency aims to be amongst the top of its kind by 2017 in the MENA region.