In a very successful start to the summer season, Cleartrip Middle East, a leading mobile and online travel company in the region, recorded its strongest-ever quarter between April and June.

The second quarter of the year saw an 85 per cent year-on-year increase in business, driven by tremendous growth across the Gulf and in mobile bookings.

“Last year ended very strongly for Cleartrip Middle East when we recorded our best quarterly performance to date between October and December. We are delighted to have once again surpassed these figures, an achievement which reflects the high level of trust and outstanding quality of service that makes us the online travel agency of choice for our valued customers,” said Stuart Crighton, founder and chief executive officer, Cleartrip.

Driven by a series of well-received marketing campaigns, Cleartrip enjoyed strong performance across all booking channels throughout the quarter. Mobile bookings proved to be an important focus, as the company’s ongoing investment in enhancing its mobile platform continued to pay dividends.

The Saudi Arabian market witnessed the most dramatic growth, recording a huge 246 per cent year-on-year increase in bookings. Cairo witnessed the biggest increase of 194 per cent followed by Riyadh and Abha at 151 per cent and 141 per cent respectively. In UAE the biggest growth was witnessed for bookings to Pakistan. The Dubai to Islamabad route grew by 218 per cent, followed by Lahore and Karachi at 204 per cent and 182 per cent.

Cleartrip’s presence in the Middle East was boosted by its recent merger with Flyin, which has expanded its client base. The combined entities benefit from increased economies of scale and together enjoy a market share of more than 60 per cent and an annual turnover of Dh2.2 billion ($598.9 million) in the Middle East.

“We will continue to invest in evolving technologies to ensure that Cleartrip remains at the forefront of the online travel sector. In addition, we are exploring pioneering ways to bring our customers a more personalised and convenient experience than ever before with our new Artificial Intelligence-based data analytics platform,” said Sameer Bagul, executive vice president and managing director, Cleartrip. “We look forward to building on these unprecedented results, as we further expand our global footprint and leverage partnerships to drive future growth.” - TradeArabia News Service