Tag Archives: leisure travel

Tero Taskila CEO and Chairman Beond Airlines in a special interview with TravelTVMiddle East shared that they are working on creating awareness with the travel agents about their premium flight and they are looking at different compensation structures such as providing their own booking platforms where the agents can book their customers to enjoy a seamless experience which will make them happy as well. “We are the world’s fist premium airline operating from Maldives to 60 destinations. After studying the Middle East market we found Riyadh as the luxury market which is underserved unlike other Middle East destinations where there are many frequencies and travellers have access to the Maldives with the frequencies but not with the product that they want. Most of the travel agents have the same requirements so its about making them aware of the product, strength of the product and also how to package the service, not necessarily how do we package the resort and the flight but how we can create a seamless service for their customers, because as a travel agent you want to make sure your customer  will be happy and satisfied. We are looking at different compensation structures and we are providing our own platforms where you can make bookings much earlier than with the traditional inventories. For example, all airlines apart from us are able to sell seats only 360 days ahead but we can do it three years ahead. When some people want to book for a special event they want to book at least 12 or 15 months ahead so this is helpful.”

According to Wego’s data there is a surge in flight bookings 11.37% YoY increase in international flight bookings for the travel period between November 2023 and January 2024, as more MENA travellers are flying this winter compared to last year. Wego also observed that there’s been a steady rise in booking numbers every year since the post-pandemic period of 2021, reflecting a growing appetite for winter travel among MENA travellers. The latest findings included this season witnesses families and travellers gearing up for winter trips, either for leisurely vacations or for expat residents to return home. In time for the holiday, Wego has identified several winter travel trends among MENA travellers. Among the top destinations this winter Cairo stands out as the top destination among MENA residents, followed closely by Jeddah, Dubai, Istanbul, and Kuwait. Major cities in the South and Southeast Asia also feature on the list, with Manila, Lahore, and Delhi in the top 10. Travel interest in these destinations may represent the homecoming trips for the Filipino, Indian, and Pakistani communities in the region. According to Wego’s data, average flight prices for some popular routes are lower this winter compared to last year. Flights to Cairo from several GCC countries notably saw some of the steepest price drops, averaging up to 35% cut compared to last year’s winter period. Moreover, these same Cairo routes are now cheaper than during this year’s summer holiday, between 5 to 43.56% decrease, depending on the departure city. Even compared to pre-pandemic rates, Cairo routes now sport cheaper price tags. For instance, the average ticket price from Riyadh to Cairo in 2023 has dropped by 112.81% compared to the winter period toward the end of …