Destinia has expanded its Middle East presence after opening an office in Iran, and adopting the website in the Persian language allowing payments to be made in the local Iranian currency.
“Our objective is to be one of the top three Arabic online travel agencies in the region by 2017," said Amuda Goueli, CEO of Destinia. Last year, sales from the MENA region grew by 140% and the entrance into the Iranian market is part of a larger strategic expansion by the agency.”
The 14-year-old company adds to its offices in Dubai, Egypt and Spain, and features 300,000 hotels and 600 airlines on its website.
Goueli added: “According to World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), spending on domestic travel in Iran will increase by 6.8% this year and is set to double by 2025.”
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Shaparak is a local payment system, which is a channel using local banks’ own credit cards to pay in rials. “The payment method was, without a doubt, the most complex part. Keep in mind that in Iran, citizens do not have conventional credit cards in Western markets, such as Visa or MasterCard. In addition, local banks work with the Islamic calendar, which is another complication for our systems”, explained Goueli.
Research by Destinia revealed that the United Arab Emirates is one of top destinations for Iranian travellers attracted by factors such as its shopping, sightseeing, culture, gourmet experiences and nightlife. Other popular destinations were revealed to be Turkey, Thailand, China and Russia.
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