In an exclusive interview with The Hans India, Bernard Corraya, General Manager at Wego India, shares his vision for transforming travel discovery and booking. With over a decade in the industry, Corraya discusses Wego's data-driven approach to empowering millions of Indian travelers, navigating post-pandemic recovery, and leveraging AI for personalized experiences. From expanding partnerships with airlines and hotels to tackling sustainability challenges, he reveals strategies propelling Wego as a leader in Southeast Asia's travel meta-search space.

Q1. What is the mission and vision of Wego for the coming years?

Wego's mission is to help people discover the real value of travel by inspiring them, providing more reasons to explore, and making planning and booking flights, hotels, and trips seamless for millions of users worldwide. The company believes that enabling more travel fosters exploration, diversity, and meaningful socio-economic impact by helping break barriers and counter prejudice through real experiences. This mission drives Wego’s continuous investment in intuitive tools that provide transparent, reliable choices across travel options.

Wego’s vision for the future goes beyond being an app or a website. The company aims to champion the universal desire to travel, experience, and grow, supported by ongoing innovation in travel technology.

Q2. How has Wego evolved since its launch to become one of the top travel metasearch platforms?

Since its launch, Wego has evolved into a comprehensive travel marketplace powered by data, automation, and user-centered design. The platform introduced major advancements such as multi-airline fare comparison, real-time price tracking, flexible date views through Fare Calendar, and direct booking integrations that simplify the search to book a journey. In India, Wego has also expanded its offering to include bus and train booking options, making the platform a complete travel marketplace for users seeking end-to-end travel solutions.

Wego was also an early innovator in mobile technology, launching the world’s first Arabic iOS travel metasearch app with full right-to-left support. Over the years, the company has strengthened its presence across global markets with regional offices in Dubai, Bangalore, Mumbai, Riyadh, Singapore, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, and Cairo. In addition to product innovation and geographic growth, Wego has built a strong network of strategic partnerships with airlines, tourism boards, and online travel agencies. These collaborations have helped expand inventory, improve fare accuracy, and deliver relevant travel content to users while supporting industry-wide initiatives that promote tourism and regional connectivity.

Continuous localization, including multi-language and currency support, relevant payment methods, and market-specific content, has been a key driver in establishing Wego as a leading travel metasearch platform across the Middle East and the Asia Pacific.

Q3. How was year 2025 for Wego as a travel brand, and what is the 2026 outlook for Wego?

2025 was a year of steady growth for Wego across its key markets, supported by better travel affordability, expanded international flight capacity, and rising demand for short breaks among younger travelers. It was also a year defined by major brand milestones. Wego introduced Weegio, its new brand face, a pint-sized alien character, becoming the first travel brand in MENA to bring its identity to life through a character. Weegio has since been integrated across social media, marketing, and app touchpoints to create a more relatable and friendly brand experience.

Throughout the year, the company enhanced personalization and optimized the user journey to help travelers make confident, informed decisions amid shifting trends like solo travel, luxury escapes, and value-led booking patterns.

Looking ahead to 2026, Wego anticipates continued momentum driven by mobile-first behavior, growing market demand for personalization, and increased reliance on intelligent travel tools. The company plans to deepen its use of AI across the platform, expanding Weegio’s capabilities, improving search relevance, and strengthening partnerships that support a more seamless and intuitive travel planning experience.

Q4. What are some unique features Wego offers to its customers vis-à-vis the competition?

● Real-time fare comparison across hundreds of airlines and online travel agencies.

● Localised experience, including regional payment methods, currency views, and tailored content.

● 24/7 bilingual customer support ensures assistance across time zones and languages.

● Flexible search tools, such as month-view and price-calendar insights, help travellers identify the most affordable periods to travel.

● Transparent results, showing options from multiple suppliers so users can choose based on budget, timing, airline preference, or payment method.

● “Book on Wego” direct booking feature that enables seamless transactions without redirection to third-party sites.

● Mobile-first design optimized for on-the-go booking, tailored to regional travel habits, especially in MENA and Asia Pacific markets.

These features collectively enable users to make faster, smarter, and more confident travel decisions.

Q5. How does Wego balance global reach with local relevance for Indian travellers?

Wego balances global reach with local relevance for Indian travelers by tailoring its technology to meet the unique needs of this diverse, price-sensitive, and mobile-driven market. It offers competitive fares displayed in Indian Rupees (INR) and provides payment options that are widely accepted and trusted in India. Search results prioritize airlines and routes popular among Indian travelers, covering both short-haul regional destinations and long-haul international trips. Additionally, Wego incorporates seasonal travel interests such as year-end holidays, summer breaks, pilgrimage travel, and festive periods, ensuring a travel experience that feels familiar, timely, and relevant to Indian users.

Q6. How does Wego anticipate year-end 2025 booking patterns for Indian travellers evolving into 2026?

Wego anticipates that year-end 2025 booking patterns for Indian travelers will show strong demand for family holidays, regional Asia getaways, winter Europe escapes, and visits to GCC countries like Saudi Arabia, transitioning into 2026 with a focus on value-driven travel. Indian travelers increasingly plan early-bird bookings to secure better prices while using mobile tools for last-minute flexible itineraries to budget-friendly and visa-friendly destinations. This pattern will sustain demand in early 2026 for unique cultural experiences in popular outbound spots from India.