Wego Blog

Wego.com and HolidayIQ.com Announce Merger; Close Series B Funding Round

November 16th, 2010

Wego Pte Ltd, operators of the Singapore based travel search engine www.wego.com, and Leisure & Lifestyle Information Services Pvt Ltd, operators of the Indian travel content and community site www.holidayiq.com announce a merger of their operations.

The combined entity has also completed a Series B funding round led by Tiger Global, the New York based growth capital fund.

About Wego:

Wego.com allows travelers to search for flights, hotels, packages, travel deals and travel research across 150+ travel websites in the time that it normally takes to search just one. Wego searches travel websites in real-time so that the latest pricing and availability are shown. Travelers are then linked through to partner websites to book.  Wego.com was founded in 2005 by former executives from Intercontinental Hotels Group (NYSE: IHG), Yahoo! (NASDAQ: YHOO), Priceline (NASDAQ: PCLN) and ZUJI. News Digital Media, the Australian digital arm of News Limited and part of News Corp (NYSE: NWS), provided Series A funding and remains an investor. For more information, please visit http://www.wego.com/about

About HolidayIQ:

HolidayIQ.com, based in Bangalore, India started operations in 2004. The website of the community, www.HolidayIQ.com, is the leading repository of information and content on vacationing in India and is in the process of expanding its coverage to international destinations for the benefit for India’s outbound travelers.  HolidayIQ was founded by Hari Nair, a former partner of KPMG India.

For more information, please visit http://www.holidayiq.com/aboutus.php

Contacts:

Martin Symes, CEO Wego
martin@wego.com

Hari Nair, CEO HolidayIQ
hari@holidayiq.com

Online Bookers To Benefit From New Distribution Partnership Between Small Luxury Hotels Of The World™ And Wego

July 28th, 2010

July 2010: Small Luxury Hotels of the World, the luxury hotel brand with a portfolio of over 500 of some of the world’s finest, independently-owned hotels, announces a new distribution partnership with Asia’s leading travel search engine, Wego.

Wego is a price comparison website which provides a snapshot of the best available rates across a range of different booking sources.  Visitors to www.wego.com will now be able to check rates offered at all the Small Luxury Hotels of the World properties when they are searching online.  They will then be directed to the brand’s website, www.slh.com, to make a reservation.

Paul Kerr, CEO of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, said: “The Small Luxury Hotels of the World brand offers excellent value to guests, both in terms of the rates we offer and  the memorable experiences available at all our properties.  Even the most discerning travellers are looking for value for money.”

Mr Kerr continued: “We know that discerning travellers are now researching and booking more online.  Our website is well-established and has won several awards in the last two years.  This partnership is about extending our online reach and raising our brand visibility to travellers who prefer to book direct through the brand channels.  Guests can be assured that the hotels they choose have met Small Luxury Hotels of the World’s strict standards of excellence with the added comfort of knowing that our rates are competitive.  Just because we are a luxury brand does not mean guests pay a premium to book through us.  The Internet has introduced a whole new world of transparency when it comes to hotel rates and travellers are taking advantage of this knowledge.”

If guests find a better rate using Wego, they can take advantage of Small Luxury Hotels of the World’s Lowest Rate Guarantee programme.  Small Luxury Hotels of the World guarantees the best rates at all its hotels.  When guests find one of its hotels at a lower rate within 24 hours, Small Luxury Hotels of the World will refund the difference.

Wego Founder & Chief Commercial Officer Craig Hewett said: “We are delighted to be working with Small Luxury Hotels of the World  as its portfolio offers our users a selection of the finest independent hotel and resort properties worldwide with the added convenience of booking direct.”

As well as through wego.com’s booking partners and slh.com, reservations can be made at any Small Luxury Hotels of the World property by calling +65 6232 5060 or through a travel agent.  Travel agents need only remember the GDS code LX for LuXury.

All the Small Luxury Hotels of the World properties are also featured on the new iPhone app which is free to download from http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/small-luxury-hotels-world/id359024705?mt=8

***Ends***

About Small Luxury Hotels of the World

The Small Luxury Hotels of the World™ (SLH) brand is an unrivalled portfolio of some of the world’s finest small independent hotels.  Comprising over 500 hotels in more than 70 countries, the diversity of the individual hotels, and the experiences that they offer, is exceptional.  From cutting-edge design hotels to palatial 17th century mansions, city centre sanctuaries to remote private islands, historic country houses to idyllic resorts, Small Luxury Hotels of the World offers only the very best.  Reservations can be made at any Small Luxury Hotels of the World property by calling +65 6232 5060 or via www.slh.com.  Travel agents need only remember the GDS code LX for LuXury.

Media Contact

Bryony Gammon
PR Manager – Asia Pacific
Small Luxury Hotels of the World
Email: bryony.gammon@slh.com
Tel: +65 6632 7280

About Wego.com

Wego.com allows travellers to search for flights, hotels, packages, travel deals and travel research across 100+ travel websites in the time that it normally takes to search just one. Wego searches travel websites in real-time so that the latest pricing and availability are shown. Travellers are then linked through to partner websites to book. Wego.com was founded in 2005 by former executives from Intercontinental Hotels Group (NYSE: IHG), Yahoo! (NASDAQ: YHOO), Priceline (NASDAQ: PCLN) and ZUJI. News Digital Media, the Australian digital arm of News Limited and part of News Corp (NYSE: NWS), is an investor. For more information, please visit http://www.wego.com/about.

Yahoo Southeast Asia extends partnership with Wego with the launch of localized travel channels in Indonesia and the Philippines

May 17th, 2010

Singapore, 17th May 2010 – Yahoo! Southeast Asia and Wego, the leading Asian regional travel comparison website, have extended their partnership with the launch of locally targeted travel channels in Indonesia and the Philippines.

Yahoo! users in Indonesia and the Philippines now have the opportunity to search both local and global travel content from over one hundred travel websites which compare real-time prices and availability from airlines, online travel agencies and hotel chains.

The two new sites are part of Yahoo’s broader travel network that already includes Singapore and Malaysia. The partnership represents an ongoing commitment to deliver relevant content to consumers in Southeast Asia.  

Graham Hills, Product Marketing Manager, Yahoo! Travel says: “The online travel markets across the region are experiencing enormous growth, driven in part by the launch of multiple Asian low cost airlines which are making travel more affordable and easy to book online.  Yahoo! Travel is perfectly positioned to help Indonesian and Filipino travelers find great deals using Wego Travel Search.”    

Wego allows online travel shoppers to search for flights, hotels and package deals across more than one hundred travel sites in the time that it takes to search for one. That means Wego can find the best product to buy and connect users to the best place to buy it in real time, within seconds.

 Martin Symes, Wego’s Chief Executive Officer stated “We are delighted to be extending our partnership with Yahoo! into these two exciting, high growth countries.   The early results from the newly launched travel channels show there is huge demand for a cutting edge, online travel price comparison service.  This is a great opportunity for Wego’s travel supplier partners to get their product in front of a new generation of online travelers.”

 About Wego.com

Wego.com allows travellers to search for flights, hotels, packages, travel deals and travel research across 100+ travel websites in the time that it normally takes to search just one. Wego searches travel websites in real-time so that the latest pricing and availability are shown. Travelers are then linked through to partner websites to book.  Wego.com was founded in 2005 by former executives from Intercontinental Hotels Group (NYSE: IHG), Yahoo! (NASDAQ: YHOO), Priceline (NASDAQ: PCLN) and ZUJI. News Digital Media, the Australian digital arm of News Limited and part of News Corp (NYSE: NWS), is an investor. For more information, please visit http://www.wego.com/about.

For Wego.com photos, logos and screen grabs: www.wego.com/mediakit

About Yahoo!

 Yahoo! attracts hundreds of millions of users every month through its innovative technology and engaging content and services, making it one of the most trafficked Internet destinations and a world class online media company. Yahoo!’s vision is to be the center of people’s online lives by delivering personally relevant, meaningful Internet experiences. Yahoo! is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California. For more information, visit http://pressroom.yahoo.com or the company’s blog, Yodel Anecdotal (http://yodel.yahoo.com).

 For media queries about this story, please contact: Craig Hewett at Wego.com, email craig@wego.com mobile (65) 9762 9287

Asean tourism website (powered by Wego) to launch officially today

January 25th, 2010

Asean Tourism will today soft launch its new website and logo.  www.southeastasia.org

SoutheastAsia.org is the product of Bangkok-based Asean Competitiveness Enhancement (ACE) Project, which is funded by the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Regional Development Mission Asia. 

ACE signed a deal with the regional trade association, Aseanta, during ATF in Hanoi last January, to develop tourism branding for Asean destinations with a website SoutheastAsia.org as the trading portal. 

It will have a special section for travel agents and others in the travel trade. Travel suppliers are being encouraged to submit content. 

Much of the content on SoutheastAsia.org is being built around niche themes such as ecotourism, train travel, cultural sightseeing, and cruising. 

ACE has since teamed up with Singapore-based Wego Pte Ltd and Qais Consulting.

Wego will offer SouthEastAsia.org capability to search dozens of sites before presenting results integrated into an interactive map and trip planner using its current technology at www.wego.com. 

Wego in partnership with Qais ( http://qaisconsulting.com/ ) will develop, host and maintain SoutheastAsia.org.  Wego and Qais have enjoyed previous success in working together with the successful www.viasingapore.com website which was  awarded the honorary nominee  for a  Webby Award in 2009.

Faced with a boring holiday season? Growing number of Aussies embark on Christmas adventures!

December 22nd, 2009

As Christmas fast approaches, a growing number of Aussie families are packing their bags and heading on “quirky” adventures this holiday season, according to travel comparison site www.wego.com.

According to Wego, people are taking a holiday break this year with the site recording over four times as many searches for flights and accommodation over the holiday period than for non-peak periods, as Aussies travel to see loved ones or embark on a Christmas adventure.

One Aussie family getting ready to embark on an adventure this Christmas is Adelaide’s Waldie family. This Thursday, Helen, David, John and Carol Waldie will leave on a 13-day family adventure of Egypt.

Helen won the trip valued at $20,000 when she entered a Wego competition in association with GAP Adventures earlier this year and decided to make the most of her trip over the festive season.

“I can’t think of a better way to spend Christmas than visiting the Valley of Kings with my family and celebrating News Year’s Eve under the stars of the Egyptian desert.”

“This will be my first Christmas overseas. I’ve always been fascinated with Egypt and I am really looking forward to my adventure this holiday season.”

“I’m sure it will be an experience I’ll never forget,” Ms Waldie said.

Wego enables Aussie travellers to search for flights, hotels, packages, travel deals and travel research across 100+ travel websites in the time that it normally takes to search just one.

Popular and “quirky” holiday packages currently available through wego.com.au’s partners include:

  • Tanzanian Wildlife adventure
  • Costa Rica Volunteer Project
  • Sail through the Greek Islands
  • Volcano Trail through through Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica.

“Wego offers a variety of interesting holiday packages and adventures from dozens of travel providers for those wanting to spend their Christmas differently this year,” said Wego.com.au national marketing manager, Sam Lindner.

“There are some great last minute deals going and we encourage anyone faced with a boring Christmas to get online and check out the many fantastic adventures available on Wego.”

Wego also empowers Aussie travellers with the ability to see a snapshot of views and experiences of others voiced across the internet through their new review feature. To get the best travel deals available and get the inside scoop on the best hotels to stay at visit:  www.wego.com

For more information, please contact:
Kate McQuestin ‐ Wego.com
T: 02 8114 7552 or 0419 591 150
kate.mcquestin@newsdigitalmedia.com.au

About Wego.com

Wego.com allows travellers to search for flights, hotels, packages, travel deals and travel research across 100+ travel websites in the time that it normally takes to search just one. Wego searches travel websites in real‐time so that the latest pricing and availability are shown. Travellers are then linked through to partner websites to book. Wego.com was founded in 2005 by former executives from Intercontinental Hotels Group (NYSE: IHG), Yahoo! (NASDAQ: YHOO), Priceline (NASDAQ: PCLN) and ZUJI. News Digital Media, the Australian digital arm of News Limited and part of News Corp (NYSE: NWS), is an investor. For more information,
please visit http://www.wego.com/about.

Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia and Wego 
to deliver online travel search experience

December 1st, 2009

Singapore, December 1, 2009: Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia and Wego, a travel search engine, have entered into a partnership to launch Wego’s leading-edge travel search engine on Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia’s new website www.TravelandLeisureAsia.com.

Now, Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia readers can quickly find the best travel deals in Southeast Asia and beyond online. Wego’s search engine offers travelers an unprecedented variety of travel options. Flights, hotels, car rentals and packages from more than 150 travel websites are accessible from one window. Plus, the content is optimized for travelers from this region.

Craig Hewett, co-founder of Wego.com, said, “By powering the travel search functionality for Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia’s website, we will provide its users with the easiest way for those shopping for travel deals to find what they are looking for online.

“Wego’s partnerships with luxury hotel brands and boutique properties matches Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia’s online editorial blend perfectly,” he added.

Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia’s Digital Media Manager, Ms Pichayanee Kitsanayothin, said: “Our magazine content does a wonderful job in creating the inspiration and motivation for travel. Now, the website is extending the Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia brand and message to millions more people.

“Our website, a dynamic directory, is designed to complement the magazine and to give users a unique blend of reliable information and quality content, along with valuable travel and related services, all delivered in a seamless online experience. Now, with Wego’s search engine, our users can turn inspiration into action,” Ms Pichayanee added.

With the Christmas holidays around the corner, Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia readers looking for a luxury getaway can start planning by searching for travel offers on www.TravelandLeisureAsia.com.

About Wego
Wego.com allows travelers to search for flights, hotels, packages, travel deals and travel research across 150+ travel websites in the time that it normally takes to search just one. Wego searches travel websites in real time so that the latest pricing and availability are shown. Travelers are then linked through to partner websites to book. Wego.com was founded in 2005 by former executives from Intercontinental Hotels Group (NYSE: IHG), Yahoo! (NASDAQ: YHOO), Priceline (NASDAQ: PCLN) and ZUJI. News Digital Media, the Australian digital arm of News Limited and part of News Corp (NYSE: NWS), is an investor. For more information, visit http://www.wego.com/about/.

About Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia
Launched in December 2007, Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia is the newest and most widely distributed of all Travel + Leisure international editions, reaching out to readers in 12 countries in Southeast Asia including Hong Kong and Macau. The magazine is published by Media Transasia Ltd. under license from American Express Publishing. Travel + Leisure is one of the world’s most recognized magazine brands. Since its inception in 1971, the magazine has grown into one of the world’s most-read publications, currently relied upon by around 5 million readers globally.

Let AXN give you the BIG BREAK you deserve!

November 19th, 2009

Have you ever travelled and not know what to do when you arrive? Do you desire something more than the usual sights and sounds? Then, let AXN Big Breaks give you exclusive travel deals to destinations featured in Asia’s Action and Adventure channel – AXN.

So what exactly is AXN Big Breaks? AXN Asia partnered with Wego, Asia-Pacific’s leading travel search engine to bring you TRAVEL DEALS. These deals are sourced from hundreds of travel providers across the globe. If you’re a fan of AXN, you can follow the footsteps of your favourite TV characters. Avid travellers can relive iconic scenes from your favourite AXN dramas or explore filming locations up close. For those who love to shop, why not bring home that something you saw on TV? AXN Big Breaks adds an extra kick to what may have been a boring, forgettable vaca-y!

AXN Big Breaks jumpstarts with Cyril: Simply Magic, which premieres TONIGHT on AXN (November 19) at 9pm. Follow Cyril’s cutting-edge street magic across Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan. Will you score some luck in Suntec City’s Fountain of Wealth or just shop ‘till you drop in Singapore? Or choose to experience the enchanting Kuala Lumpur? Perhaps shop and roam the picturesque streets of Taipei?

Why not check out AXN Big Breaks now? Put that action back into travel at AXN Big Breaks and get that Big Break you deserve!

What’s in common among Singaporeans, Malaysians and Taiwanese?

November 18th, 2009

What do Singaporeans, Malaysians and Taiwanese have in common? Well, they went nuts over Cyril’s magic!

And, what will bring you closer to Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Taipei? AXN Big Breaks, of course! AXN Big Breaks is bringing you exclusive travel deals worldwide! These sweet deals come from Wego, AXN’s partner and provider of hot travel deals – from airline bookings, hotel arrangements to holiday packages and more!

You can savour the local delicacies featured in the first leg of Cyril’s magical adventures, or wish for luck from the Fountain of Wealth… all found in the modern, affluent and progressive Lion City! Experience the rustic charm of Kuala Lumpur, and see if Cyril breaks barriers among Malaysians with his mindblowing magic. In the last stop of the tour, can magic bring happiness to the people of Taipei? Be entertained and be amazed as Cyril draws ooohs and aaahs from his captive audience.

Catch Cyril: Simply Magic, which will premiere on AXN on November 19 at 9PM. Don’t fret! You can also retrace Cyril’s magical journey across the three enchanting cities in Asia with AXN Big Breaks, which brings you the best travel deals to these unique destinations. Visit AXN Big Breaks at http://www.wego.com/axn.

WEGO LAUNCHES WORLD FIRST HOTEL REVIEW PRODUCT

November 10th, 2009

Sydney, 9th November, 2009 - Travel comparison site Wego.com.au today launched a revolutionary new type of hotel review product, empowering travellers to quickly pull hotel reviews from all across the internet – but only read the ones of direct interest to them.

 Wego’s new cutting-edge review system aggregates and sorts reviews from across hundreds of websites.  It then drills down to determine how positive or negative the review is … and why.  The result is an overall “guest satisfaction” score, as well as separate sub-scores for filters such as “rooms”, “location”, “cleanliness”, “family friendly”, etc.

 Some of these filters are fixed and present for all hotels. Others appear only when they are often mentioned in reviews.  A hotel with a great spa, for instance, will have a separate score for “spa.”  These filters appear in an intuitive tag cloud, allowing users to simply click on any term of interest. 

 All reviews and guest satisfaction scores are supported by review snippets, in which the relevant bits can be read quickly and easily.  If a user wants to read the full review, they simply click on the snippet. 

 The entire interface is designed to put the relevant information front and centre, and allow the user to simply point and click to learn more about topics of interest to them.  Wego does all the hard work for the traveller by pulling reviews from hundreds of leading sites and presenting a snapshot of opinion.

 Wego founder and Chief Commercial Officer, Craig Hewett said, “Wego’s new hotel reviews fill a massive gap in the online travel shopping experience.  Consumers don’t like being forced to wade through hundreds of reviews to find one that seems relevant to them.  No other site can get as many relevant reviews in front of the user so quickly.”

 “We believe this offering will also benefit hotel operators as they can see a valuable snapshot of the experience their valued customers have had with their business.”

 “We are excited to be launching this offering and giving consumers access to the best information available on hotels. It is part of our continued investment in the Wego product and our commitment to delivering travellers with the best experience available online,” Mr Hewett said.  

 

The new hotel review product can be viewed at: www.wego.com.au/hotels

For more information, please contact:

Kate McQuestin ‐ Wego.com.au

T: 02 8114 7552

M: 0419 591 150

kate@mcqmedia.com

 

About Wego.com

Wego.com allows travellers to search for flights, hotels, packages, travel deals and travel

research across 100+ travel websites in the time that it normally takes to search just one. Wego searches travel

websites in real‐time so that the latest pricing and availability are shown. Travellers are then linked through to

partner websites to book. Wego.com was founded in 2005 by former executives from Intercontinental Hotels

Group (NYSE: IHG), Yahoo! (NASDAQ: YHOO), Priceline (NASDAQ: PCLN) and ZUJI. News Digital Media, the

Australian digital arm of News Limited and part of News Corp (NYSE: NWS), is an investor. For more information,

please visit http://www.wego.com/about.

Where Did Sydney Travellers Visit in September 2009?

October 19th, 2009

Last week during one of our monthly meetings, a group of us were asked to poll which was the favorite holiday destination for travelers in Sydney. We all chipped in and I thought why not open this poll up to everyone, it might be a fun exercise just to see what we feel is the top travel destination for citizens in a particular city.

This is a 1st of a series of weekly polls that Wego will be posting in the coming months. The poll would run for 7 days and at the end of each poll, we will release the results together with our internal search data to see determine the winning destination.

  • Brisbane
  • Bali
  • Singapore
  • Auckland
  • Bangkok
  • London
  • Hong Kong
  • Melbourne

Update: Here are the results of the poll – The city with most number of votes is Melbourne, Australia with 27%. Followed by Bali, Indonesia with 22%. And now for the moment of truth, if you have selected Melbourne, you are right! In Sept 2009, Wego search data for travelers orignating from Sydney, Australia had Melbourne as their most searched city.

poll-results-Sydney-Sep09

Wego City pair search for Sept 2009 (Fig 2)

frm-Sydney-2009