Leanne Hucker

Online commerce in the Middle East is still in the early stages of development, but the region's travel industry is growing fast, both online and off. A predominantly young population is increasingly well-educated, comfortable with technology and excited about living a modern lifestyle – factors that make the Middle East ripe for travel market growth. Travel dynamics differ across the region's individual countries, where technology and e-commerce adoption vary widely.

• What are the top challenges and opportunities in the Middle East online travel market and how can you adapt your e-commerce strategy to them?
• What are the localisation strategies that can be implemented to establish customer relationships? -How can you build a successful multi-channel payment strategy inclusive of all online and offline methods in the region?
• How can an inclusive payment method with alternative offline payment solutions drive conversions?
• Complexity of Arabic: How can you integrate multiple complex languages whilst keeping the payment process simple?
• Emergence of Meta-searches and continued growth of OTAs: What does this mean for the future of direct bookings?