Travel Guides & Articles
Travelling to the US? Expect to be ‘vetted to the maximum degree’
Headlines about challenging, often traumatic experiences for foreigners
trying to enter the United States since Donald Trump became president on 20
January are appearing almost daily. Reported incidents include: an Australian detained
and deported on returning to the USA after a short trip home, despite holding a
valid work visa; a French academic denied entry because his phone contained social
messages criticising the Trump administration’s research policy; a Costa Rican Nobel
Peace Prize winner having his visa cancelled; and European Commission officials
being equipped with ‘burner’ phones and scrubbed laptops to avoid sensitive information
being extracted.
Small wonder then that “in light of their duty of care responsibility our
members are sounding the alarm over the real and perceived risks their
employees face when travelling to the United States,” says Patrick W. Diemer,
chairperson of BT4Europe, the network of European business travel associations.
Among the risks BT4E points to are “the unpredictability of US entry procedures
… deportation or detention, [and] heightened scrutiny of dual nationals,
members of the LGBTQ+ community and those who have voiced political opinions on
social media.”
Certainly, a “higher level of vetting and verification has resulted in a
higher number of denials of entry and in some cases detention,” says Mike
Rogers, chief security analyst for travel medical and security services company
International SOS.
“We have clients who have had their travellers turned away and forced to
return to their home countries. We have had others brought in for secondary
questioning when they have travelled to the US without incident for many years.
We even have clients who have had some of their staff barred for entry long-term
as a result of their interaction at the port of entry,” says Rogers.
Yet Diemer’s phrase “real and perceived risks” is a telling one, because
distinguishing fact from fears is challenging in an environment where officals
can refuse entry summarily and without reason. So what has actually changed? “None
of the regulations with relation to cross-border [movements] have changed, but what they
are doing is working to the letter of the law,” says Samantha McKnight, senior
vice president client solutions for visa and immigration specialist CIBT.
Stricter
enforcement appears to stem from an Executive Order “protecting the United
States from foreign terrorists and other national and public security threats”
signed by President Trump on the day he started his second term. The order
seeks to “ensure that all aliens seeking admission to the United States,
or who are already in the United States, are vetted and screened to the maximum
degree possible.”
In all the recent cases of denied entry reported to International SOS, “it
appears there was some infraction in their current travel or in a past visit to
the United States with respect to the stipulations of a visa,” says Rogers.
Critical statements about the US government in private channels on social networks can lead to problems when entering the country
Most business travellers from most European countries can enter the USA
without a visa, although, as for all visa-waiver visitors, they still have to
obtain an Electronic System for Travel Authorization, or ESTA. However,
McKnight cautions that an “ESTA is a right to travel. It isn’t a right to enter. The
final decision happens at the border. We are seeing ESTA rejections that
wouldn’t necessarily have come through in the past.”
But McKnight and Rogers both say it is not yet clear to what extent, if
at all, travellers are being turned away for criticising the Trump
administration via social or other media. While “looking at social media has been part
of the visa application process for a long time, we haven’t had clients report
to us that they have had their social media reviewed at the airport leading to
an untoward outcome,” says Rogers.
On the other hand, the same Executive Order declares that “the United
States must be vigilant during the visa-issuance process to ensure that those
aliens approved for admission … do not intend to harm Americans or our national
interests. More importantly, the United States must identify them before their
admission or entry … And the United States must ensure that admitted aliens and
aliens otherwise already present … do not bear hostile attitudes toward its
citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles, and do not
advocate for, aid, or support designated foreign terrorists and other threats
to our national security.”
German travel management association VDR has prepared a brief for members
stating that: “Critical statements about the US government in private channels
on social networks can lead to problems when entering the country.” And Bruce
McIndoe, president of McIndoe Risk Advisory, warns: “Your Facebook, your LinkedIn: they can take your profile and quickly
bring forward information you’ve posted in the public domain. They can also see
if you deleted a social media profile in the last 30 days. That can also pop up
red flags. They can send you to secondary [interrogation], query you about it
and make a decision.”
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR
TRAVEL MANAGERS
Mandate US-bound reservations through authorised channels
It is much harder to support travellers who book independently and then
encounter trouble at the US border. “Rein in rogue travellers,” says Diversity
Travel general manager for North America, DeAnne Dale. “Mandate to the point
that ‘if you book outside the designated travel management company we’re not
reimbursing you for that ticket’.”
Anticipate problems
“We are telling clients to consider additional scrutiny of folks they
send to the USA to make sure they have been compliant with the stipulations of
their visa not only on this current trip but also on past visits,” says Rogers.
In particular, warn employees that any kind of criminal record, no matter how old
or minor, may well result in pre-travel rejection or deportation on arrival.
Allow plenty of prep time
ESTA and visa applications are taking longer and have become more
complicated, which also increases the potential for misstatements, leading in
turn to higher risk of denied entry not only on this trip but subsequent ones too. With
regards to ESTAs, “your declaration
needs to match the travel plans that you have,” says McIndoe. Security
officials “have your itinerary,” he adds. “If you present an ESTA that doesn’t
match, that’s one of the biggest triggers to secondary [interrogation].”
Organise emergency assistance
Give travellers a contact list in case of trouble at the border. Support could
include your in-house travel team, travel management company, risk management
provider or embassy, but it is also now recommended to engage an immigration
law firm on standby. Check insurance policies, including cover for legal
assistance in the event of detention or deportation.
Brief travellers
“Travel managers have to prepare their travellers with detailed briefings
and ensure they know their rights in case something does happen,” says Dale.
Get your documentation ready at the border
In addition to a visa (if needed), travellers should be ready to produce
their ticket or other proof of return travel, evidence of where they are
staying in the USA and, ideally, a letter from their employer stating their
business in the country. “Have hard and phone copies of your passport,” says
Dale.
Be patient and clear with officials
“Immigration lines will be much longer. If you have a lot of stamps in
your passport, you could face scrutiny for a long time,” says Dale. McKnight
adds: “Whether you have an ESTA, a B-1 business visa or a green card, you still
need to explain why you are travelling, and have to hand all your information.
You are not exempt from questioning by Customs and Border Protection. They will
ask as many questions as they like and
if you are defensive about it they will probably ask you more.”
VDR also advises speakers of English as a foreign language to take care
with their vocabulary at border interrogations. Examples include saying “I’m
here for business” instead of “I’m coming to work”, and “I’m staying at XX hotel” instead of “I’m
living at XX hotel”.
Review IT devices
“Consultation with IT and data protection officers is recommended before
travel if, for example, sensitive data is stored on a company laptop,” says VDR.
Support trans/non-binary employees
The US government no longer treats passports with an X gender designation
equally and only isssues visas with a male or female sex marker consistent with
designated sex at birth on visa applications.
“We are hearing that many people feel it is unsafe to travel into the USA,
even on a short trip,” says Emma Cusdin, director of Global Butterflies, an organisation that
engages with the business sector about the trans and non-binary community.
“My advice for travel managers is to speak to non-binary travellers – do they
want to go? Is there an alternative to them going? – plan for the worst, and
have a robust mitigation plan. Personally, I would not travel now to the USA as
the risk is too high.”
Monitor the situation closely
The situation is changing rapidly. Work with
your TMC, risk consultancy or other trusted information provider.
With additional reporting by Michael Baker.
• See also: Corporates watch and wait as Trump tariffs stir travel uncertainty
Travel Guides & Articles
Find Sunflowers In Full Bloom At These Places In India This Month – Travel and Leisure Asia
Find Sunflowers In Full Bloom At These Places In India This Month Travel and Leisure Asia
Source link
Travel Guides & Articles
Wego India Innovates with Technology to Streamline Travel Search, Address Trends, and Drive Post-Pandemic Growth
Friday, July 11, 2025
Wego India, a prominent metasearch engine in the travel industry, is revolutionizing the way Indian travelers plan and book their journeys by leveraging cutting-edge technology. According to Bernard Corraya, General Manager of Wego India, the company’s focus on technology and customer experience has been pivotal in enhancing travel search and expanding options for Indian users.
In an exclusive interview with TTW, Bernard Corraya, GM of Wego India, discussed the company’s innovative approach to revolutionizing the travel experience for Indian users. He highlighted Wego India’s integration of real-time APIs, offering seamless flight, hotel, and train bookings. The platform now features flexible fares, multi-carrier itineraries, and a growing focus on experiential accommodations. Corraya also emphasized Wego’s efforts to deliver personalized travel recommendations using machine learning. As India’s travel industry recovers post-pandemic, Wego is contributing to both domestic and outbound tourism by offering flexible, competitive options and a streamlined travel ecosystem.
Wego’s platform aggregates real-time data from airlines, hotels, rail operators, and OTAs through API integrations, ensuring users have access to the most up-to-date and comprehensive options available. This enables the search for flights, hotels, and trains to be smooth and seamless. A significant addition in early 2024 was the integration of a train-booking service, which directly pulls IRCTC availability, allowing users to search for train tickets alongside flights and hotels. The service is designed to allow users to filter by various preferences, such as class, departure time, and fare type, and even complete payments without leaving the platform. Underpinning this service is a robust infrastructure that ensures that search results are up-to-date, reducing booking friction and improving the user experience for Indian travelers.
Looking ahead to 2025, Wego India has observed key trends in travelers’ preferences. Indian users are increasingly opting for flexible fares, which offer refund and rescheduling options, as well as multi-carrier itineraries for better convenience. Additionally, premium-economy seating is gaining popularity for medium-haul flights as travelers seek more comfort. On the hotel front, there is a growing demand for experiential and long-stay accommodations, particularly in tier-II and tier-III cities. The preference for boutique properties and serviced apartments—combining home-style amenities with hotel services—reflects a shift in how Indian travelers want to experience their stays.
To ensure competitive pricing and a wide array of options, Wego India utilizes a dynamic pricing engine that aggregates fares from multiple sources, including direct airline APIs, global distribution systems, and third-party OTAs. This ensures that Wego India users have access to the most competitive prices, along with the flexibility to explore both standard and exclusive package deals.
The company has also embraced the demand for personalized travel recommendations. Wego employs machine-learning algorithms that analyze a user’s past searches, bookings, and travel preferences to present more tailored options. This creates a more personalized experience, allowing users to discover flights, hotels, and destinations that match their individual needs. Additionally, the homepage features “inspiration modules,” offering curated destination guides based on collective trend data.
As India’s travel industry recovers post-pandemic, Wego India is playing a crucial role in facilitating both outbound and domestic travel. With the rise in domestic tourism and outbound travel, Wego India has integrated self-drive rental services through a partnership with Zoomcar, further enhancing the convenience of travel. The company has also worked to make the booking process contactless, ensuring safety and flexibility for travelers. By aggregating multiple travel services—flights, hotels, trains, and self-drive rentals—into a seamless ecosystem, Wego India is paving the way for future growth in both leisure and business travel.
1. How is Wego India leveraging technology to enhance the travel search experience for Indian users?
Wego India operates a robust metasearch engine that aggregates live inventory from hundreds of airlines, hotels, rail operators and OTAs via real‐time API integrations. In early 2024, Wego introduced an integrated train-booking service—pulling IRCTC availability directly into its app and website—to complement flight and hotel search, allowing users to filter by class, departure time and fare type, then complete payment without leaving the Wego platform.
Under the hood, a combination of low-latency caching, incremental data polling, and predictive algorithms for ticket-confirmation probabilities ensures that search results remain both comprehensive and up-to-date, significantly reducing booking friction for Indian travelers.
2. What trends are you seeing in Indian travelers’ preferences for flights and hotels in 2025?
Users increasingly prioritize refundable or “flex” fares, multi-carrier itineraries and premium-economy seating for greater comfort on medium-haul routes. Meanwhile, hotel searches reflect a clear shift toward experiential and long-stay accommodations: demand for boutique properties in tier-II and tier-III cities is rising, and extended-stay travelers are booking serviced apartments that blend home-style amenities with hotel-class services.
3. How does Wego India ensure competitive pricing and comprehensive options in a highly dynamic market?
Wego’s dynamic pricing engine continuously polls multiple fare sources, direct airline APIs, global distribution systems and third-party OTAs, refreshing rates every few minutes to capture flash sales and limited-time bundles.
By presenting these aggregated deals side-by-side with standard fares and surfacing exclusive package rates, Wego India guarantees that every search surfaces the broadest choice at the most competitive price.
4. Can you share how Wego is addressing the growing demand for personalized travel recommendations in India?
To move beyond generic search results, Wego deploys machine-learning models that analyze each user’s past searches, bookings, trip durations and demographic signals. These algorithms rank flight and hotel options in order of likely affinity considering preferred cabin classes, budget bands and even seasonal travel habits, while “inspiration modules” on the homepage deliver hand-curated destination guides based on collective trend data. The result is a bespoke planning experience: rather than wading through hundreds of options, users are presented with personalized suggestions that align closely with their unique preferences and travel histories.
5. How is Wego India contributing to the recovery and growth of India’s outbound and domestic travel markets post-pandemic?
As India’s travel industry rebounds, with outbound trips climbing sharply throughout the year and domestic tourism leading the recovery, Wego has expanded its rail-booking service to capture intra-India travel demand and partnered with Zoomcar to integrate self-drive rentals directly into its platform.
By aggregating flights, hotels, trains and self-drive vehicles into one seamless ecosystem and by championing contactless booking pathways and flexible cancellation policies. Wego is empowering both leisure and business travellers to plan safe, autonomous journeys across India and beyond.
Travel Guides & Articles
Do not travel to Iran: US issues dire warning as detention, terrorism risks grow
In its starkest advisory, the US State Department has urged American citizens not to travel to Iran “for any reason,” citing an escalating pattern of wrongful detentions, threats to civil aviation, terrorism, and misleading surrogacy services.
The updated Level 4: Do Not Travel advisory comes amid growing tensions and a string of high-profile detentions involving US nationals. “US citizens in Iran face serious dangers,” the department warned. “They have been kidnapped and wrongfully arrested. Some have been held for years on false charges, subjected to psychological torture, and even sentenced to death.”
American citizens — especially dual US-Iranian nationals, journalists, students, and business travelers — are being targeted without warning or evidence of any crime, the government said. The advisory emphasized that “having a US passport or connections to the United States can be reason enough for Iranian authorities to detain someone.”
There are currently no formal diplomatic or consular relations between Washington and Tehran. In the event of arrest or detention, the US cannot directly intervene; instead, the Swiss government acts as the “protecting power” for US interests. However, consular access is often denied, especially to dual nationals.
TERROR THREATS AND AVIATION RISK
The advisory also highlights the increasing danger from violent extremist groups. “ISIS and related groups have taken responsibility for bombings and other attacks in the country. The risk of terrorism and deadly harm to bystanders continues,” it noted.
Due to escalating threats in Iranian airspace, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has banned US flights to, from, or through Iran. The department urged Americans to consult the FAA’s NOTAM and SFAR alerts for updates on civil aviation risks.
Adding to the list of concerns is Iran’s unregulated surrogacy industry, which, according to the advisory, has grossly misrepresented security risks and US citizenship law.
“Iranian surrogacy providers have also been known to misrepresent US citizenship law,” the State Department warned. “If a child born overseas to a surrogate is not genetically or gestationally related to a US citizen parent or their spouse, the child will not automatically acquire US citizenship at birth and will not be able to obtain a US passport to leave Iran.”
The tone of the advisory is unusually grave, urging would-be travellers to prepare for the worst. Among the recommendations:
– Drafting a will
– Leaving DNA samples with a medical provider
– Establishing a proof-of-life protocol
– Sharing sensitive login and personal documents with family
– Ends
-
Funding & Business1 week ago
Kayak and Expedia race to build AI travel agents that turn social posts into itineraries
-
Jobs & Careers1 week ago
Mumbai-based Perplexity Alternative Has 60k+ Users Without Funding
-
Mergers & Acquisitions1 week ago
Donald Trump suggests US government review subsidies to Elon Musk’s companies
-
Funding & Business1 week ago
Rethinking Venture Capital’s Talent Pipeline
-
Jobs & Careers1 week ago
Why Agentic AI Isn’t Pure Hype (And What Skeptics Aren’t Seeing Yet)
-
Education3 days ago
9 AI Ethics Scenarios (and What School Librarians Would Do)
-
Education4 days ago
Teachers see online learning as critical for workforce readiness in 2025
-
Education1 week ago
AERDF highlights the latest PreK-12 discoveries and inventions
-
Education6 days ago
How ChatGPT is breaking higher education, explained
-
Education4 days ago
Nursery teachers to get £4,500 to work in disadvantaged areas