SweetFare.com is recognised as the industry’s most powerful flight search engine, covering 130 major and low cost airlines, more than any other site.
The Emerging Travel Marketplace in India, crystallizes the online travel opportunity for us”, said Martin Gray, travel industry consultant and SweetFare.com co-founder.
“The online travel market in India will be the most dynamic in Asia Pacific, and will experience strong growth over the next five years…Unlike in China, where only 3% of Web-initiated travel transactions were fulfilled online, 95% of such transactions will be fulfilled online as the Indian market develops,” he said.
Growth in Indian air travel has soared since deregulation began three years ago with upstarts Air Deccan, SpiceJet, GoAir, and IndiGo now holding a 29% share of the domestic market.
SweetFare.com’s flight search, now available on the new India site, provides real-time prices and itineraries from leading India and Asian low cost carriers, SpiceJet, King Fisher, and Jet Airways. It also serves major carriers Air India, Thai Airways and Virgin Atlantic along with online travel agencies such as Expedia, and Travelocity.
“Their entry into the Asia market, via India, is very strategic considering that for Southeast Asia markets, starting in January 2008, all restrictions on the region's carriers flying into neighbouring countries will be lifted under the new free skies policy first negotiated by ASEAN a decade ago, said Joe Buhler, a PhoCusWright associate.