Skift India Travel Podcast https://skift.com/skift-travel-podcasts/ en 2025 Skift, Inc. All Rights Reserved Through insightful conversations, expert analysis, and compelling stories, the Skift India Travel Podcast aims to delve into the dynamic and ever-evolving business of travel in India. Skift Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia is joined by business leaders, and experts from throughout the industry and Skift's newsroom, to explore the challenges, opportunities, and trends shaping the Indian travel industry.  https://megaphone.imgix.net/podcasts/82428fd4-21c5-11ee-9ffc-139a6a7e2bd0/image/88a9842f26e3c9d2f5dd81b934ac8f74.png?ixlib=rails-4.3.1&max-w=3000&max-h=3000&fit=crop&auto=format,compress Skift India Travel Podcast https://skift.com/skift-travel-podcasts/ no episodic Diving into the dynamic travel and tourism industry in India. Skift Through insightful conversations, expert analysis, and compelling stories, the Skift India Travel Podcast aims to delve into the dynamic and ever-evolving business of travel in India. Skift Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia is joined by business leaders, and experts from throughout the industry and Skift's newsroom, to explore the challenges, opportunities, and trends shaping the Indian travel industry.  Through insightful conversations, expert analysis, and compelling stories, the Skift India Travel Podcast aims to delve into the dynamic and ever-evolving business of travel in India. Skift Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia is joined by business leaders, and experts from throughout the industry and Skift's newsroom, to explore the challenges, opportunities, and trends shaping the Indian travel industry. 

]]> Skift jc@skift.com The Intrepid Travel Take on the Indian Inbound Travel Market https://skift.com/skift-travel-podcasts/ In this episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast, Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia speaks with Rama Mahendru, India general manager of Intrepid Travel, about the company’s bold 2030 strategy to grow inbound tourism in India by 300%. Mahendru shares insights into why India is pivotal for Intrepid’s focus on immersive and sustainable travel, the infrastructure challenges impacting inbound tourism and how Intrepid is empowering women through its growing team of female tour leaders, addressing perceptions of India among single women travelers. Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social X: https://twitter.com/skift Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry. Thu, 19 Dec 2024 10:00:00 -0000 The Intrepid Travel Take on the Indian Inbound Travel Market full Skift Our hosts speaks with Intrepid Travel about its ambitious plans for growth in India in the coming years. In this episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast, Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia speaks with Rama Mahendru, India general manager of Intrepid Travel, about the company’s bold 2030 strategy to grow inbound tourism in India by 300%. Mahendru shares insights into why India is pivotal for Intrepid’s focus on immersive and sustainable travel, the infrastructure challenges impacting inbound tourism and how Intrepid is empowering women through its growing team of female tour leaders, addressing perceptions of India among single women travelers. Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social X: https://twitter.com/skift Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry. In this episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast, Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia speaks with Rama Mahendru, India general manager of Intrepid Travel, about the company’s bold 2030 strategy to grow inbound tourism in India by 300%. Mahendru shares insights into why India is pivotal for Intrepid’s focus on immersive and sustainable travel, the infrastructure challenges impacting inbound tourism and how Intrepid is empowering women through its growing team of female tour leaders, addressing perceptions of India among single women travelers.

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]]> 1835 no How Millennials and Gen Z Are Shaping India’s Travel Trends https://skift.com/tag/skift-podcast/ In this episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast, we explore how online travel agencies are catering to the evolving needs of affluent millennials and Gen Z in India’s travel market. Anuj Rathi, Cleartrip’s chief business and growth officer, shares insights into shifting travel preferences, from millennial wanderlust to Gen Z’s unique approach to booking. He also talks about the strategy on delivering exceptional customer experiences, managing peak-season price surges, and leveraging strategic partnerships. Tune in for a deep dive into Cleartrip's approach to today’s travel landscape. Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ X: https://twitter.com/skift Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry. Fri, 15 Nov 2024 14:37:26 -0000 How Millennials and Gen Z Are Shaping India’s Travel Trends full Skift Cleartrip's Chief Business and Growth Officer explores strategies for catering to the evolving travel preferences of affluent Indian millennials and Gen Z. In this episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast, we explore how online travel agencies are catering to the evolving needs of affluent millennials and Gen Z in India’s travel market. Anuj Rathi, Cleartrip’s chief business and growth officer, shares insights into shifting travel preferences, from millennial wanderlust to Gen Z’s unique approach to booking. He also talks about the strategy on delivering exceptional customer experiences, managing peak-season price surges, and leveraging strategic partnerships. Tune in for a deep dive into Cleartrip's approach to today’s travel landscape. Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ X: https://twitter.com/skift Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry. In this episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast, we explore how online travel agencies are catering to the evolving needs of affluent millennials and Gen Z in India’s travel market. Anuj Rathi, Cleartrip’s chief business and growth officer, shares insights into shifting travel preferences, from millennial wanderlust to Gen Z’s unique approach to booking. He also talks about the strategy on delivering exceptional customer experiences, managing peak-season price surges, and leveraging strategic partnerships. Tune in for a deep dive into Cleartrip's approach to today’s travel landscape.

Connect with Skift

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]]> 1726 no Why India’s $10.6 Billion Corporate Travel Market Is Poised for Growth This episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast sets the stage for an in-depth discussion on India's evolving corporate travel market. Avinash Chandani, partner from Deloitte India talks to Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia about the growth potential of the Indian corporate travel market. Key topics include growth drivers, industry trends like blended travel, the impact of technology and data, and the role of travel management companies. The podcast provides an insight into how businesses are navigating high travel costs, geopolitical challenges, and shifting traveler expectations providing a comprehensive understanding of the opportunities and challenges in India’s corporate travel landscape, with a mix of data-driven analysis and expert commentary. Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ X: https://twitter.com/skift Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry. Tue, 22 Oct 2024 17:01:49 -0000 Why India’s $10.6 Billion Corporate Travel Market Is Poised for Growth full Skift This episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast sets the stage for an in-depth discussion on India's evolving corporate travel market. This episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast sets the stage for an in-depth discussion on India's evolving corporate travel market. Avinash Chandani, partner from Deloitte India talks to Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia about the growth potential of the Indian corporate travel market. Key topics include growth drivers, industry trends like blended travel, the impact of technology and data, and the role of travel management companies. The podcast provides an insight into how businesses are navigating high travel costs, geopolitical challenges, and shifting traveler expectations providing a comprehensive understanding of the opportunities and challenges in India’s corporate travel landscape, with a mix of data-driven analysis and expert commentary. Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ X: https://twitter.com/skift Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry. This episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast sets the stage for an in-depth discussion on India's evolving corporate travel market. Avinash Chandani, partner from Deloitte India talks to Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia about the growth potential of the Indian corporate travel market. Key topics include growth drivers, industry trends like blended travel, the impact of technology and data, and the role of travel management companies. The podcast provides an insight into how businesses are navigating high travel costs, geopolitical challenges, and shifting traveler expectations providing a comprehensive understanding of the opportunities and challenges in India’s corporate travel landscape, with a mix of data-driven analysis and expert commentary.

Connect with Skift

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/

X: https://twitter.com/skift

Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews

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]]> 1901 Rethinking Hospitality Through Minimalist Design and Eco-Conscious Travel Minimalism, for Guatam Munjal, the founder of Minimalist Hotels, is more than a buzzword — it’s about offering a high-quality experience without excess, appealing to travelers who are increasingly eco-conscious. In the latest episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast, catch Munjal in conversation with Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia as he talks about integrating hybrid spaces that cater to both work and leisure needs, while aiming to tap into the growing demand for flexibility among young urban travelers. He also sees food and beverage as an essential part of the guest experience, introducing unique concepts like craft cocktail bars and cozy cafés.  Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ X: https://twitter.com/skift Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry. Tue, 15 Oct 2024 00:30:00 -0000 Rethinking Hospitality Through Minimalist Design and Eco-Conscious Travel full Skift Minimalism, for Guatam Munjal, the founder of Minimalist Hotels, is more than a buzzword — it’s about offering a high-quality experience without excess, appealing to travelers who are increasingly eco-conscious. In the latest episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast, catch Munjal in conversation with Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia as he talks about integrating hybrid spaces that cater to both work and leisure needs, while aiming to tap into the growing demand for flexibility among young urban travelers. He also sees food and beverage as an essential part of the guest experience, introducing unique concepts like craft cocktail bars and cozy cafés.  Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ X: https://twitter.com/skift Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry. Minimalism, for Guatam Munjal, the founder of Minimalist Hotels, is more than a buzzword — it’s about offering a high-quality experience without excess, appealing to travelers who are increasingly eco-conscious. In the latest episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast, catch Munjal in conversation with Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia as he talks about integrating hybrid spaces that cater to both work and leisure needs, while aiming to tap into the growing demand for flexibility among young urban travelers. He also sees food and beverage as an essential part of the guest experience, introducing unique concepts like craft cocktail bars and cozy cafés. 

Connect with Skift

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]]> 2015 Can India’s New Tourism Push Close the Gap in Inbound Travel? In this episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast, Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia is joined by Saniya Zanpure, research analyst at Skift, to explore India’s inbound tourism landscape. Last month, the Indian government announced initiatives aimed at boosting tourism, including offering 100,000 free visas. Despite surging outbound travel, inbound recovery has been slower, making these measures critical. Catch them discuss factors behind this disparity, such as safety concerns, visa issues, and infrastructure challenges, as well as untapped opportunities to enhance India's appeal.  Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ X: https://twitter.com/skift Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry. Tue, 08 Oct 2024 00:30:00 -0000 Can India’s New Tourism Push Close the Gap in Inbound Travel? full Skift In this episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast, Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia is joined by Saniya Zanpure, research analyst at Skift, to explore India’s inbound tourism landscape. Last month, the Indian government announced initiatives aimed at boosting tourism, including offering 100,000 free visas. Despite surging outbound travel, inbound recovery has been slower, making these measures critical. Catch them discuss factors behind this disparity, such as safety concerns, visa issues, and infrastructure challenges, as well as untapped opportunities to enhance India's appeal.  Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ X: https://twitter.com/skift Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry. In this episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast, Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia is joined by Saniya Zanpure, research analyst at Skift, to explore India’s inbound tourism landscape. Last month, the Indian government announced initiatives aimed at boosting tourism, including offering 100,000 free visas. Despite surging outbound travel, inbound recovery has been slower, making these measures critical. Catch them discuss factors behind this disparity, such as safety concerns, visa issues, and infrastructure challenges, as well as untapped opportunities to enhance India's appeal. 

Connect with Skift

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/

X: https://twitter.com/skift

Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/

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]]> 1911 Why Indian Hotels Are Investing in Religious Tourism Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia talks to Mehul Sharma, CEO and founder of Signum Hotels and Resorts, about the demand-supply gap in India's hospitality market. Sharma goes on to talk about the growing demand for religious tourism in India and what makes religious destinations such a strong investment for his company. Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ X: https://twitter.com/skift Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry. Tue, 01 Oct 2024 00:30:00 -0000 Why Indian Hotels Are Investing in Religious Tourism full Skift Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia talks to Mehul Sharma, CEO and founder of Signum Hotels and Resorts, about the demand-supply gap in India's hospitality market. Sharma goes on to talk about the growing demand for religious tourism in India and what makes religious destinations such a strong investment for his company. Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ X: https://twitter.com/skift Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry. Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia talks to Mehul Sharma, CEO and founder of Signum Hotels and Resorts, about the demand-supply gap in India's hospitality market. Sharma goes on to talk about the growing demand for religious tourism in India and what makes religious destinations such a strong investment for his company.


Connect with Skift

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/

X: https://twitter.com/skift

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]]> 1874 What Leela's IPO Signals About the Future of Luxury Tourism in India https://skift.com/tag/skift-podcast/ In this episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast, Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia and India Reporter Bulbul Dhawan dive into the top travel stories from India this month. They explore Leela Hotels’ move toward an IPO, South Afbrica’s new visa reforms, and Oyo’s acquisition of Motel 6. The discussion also covers key trends in Indian aviation and how Indian millennials are driving a surge in travel spending. Key Points Leela Hotels plans a $599M IPO to reduce debt and expand into wildlife and heritage tourism. South Africa introduces visa relaxations aimed at boosting tourism from India and China. Oyo's acquisition of Motel 6 strengthens its presence in North America with 1,500 new locations. Summary In this episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast, the hosts discuss Leela Hotels' $599 million IPO aimed at debt reduction and expansion into wildlife and heritage tourism. The episode also covers South Africa's new visa reforms to attract Indian and Chinese tourists and Oyo's acquisition of Motel 6 to bolster its North American footprint. Additionally, the podcast explores the increasing preference for direct flights among Indian travelers and the rise in travel spending driven by Indian millennials. Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ X: https://twitter.com/skift Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry. Tue, 24 Sep 2024 00:30:00 -0000 What Leela's IPO Signals About the Future of Luxury Tourism in India full Skift Our hosts explore Leela Hotels’ move toward an IPO, South Afbrica’s new visa reforms, and Oyo’s acquisition of Motel 6. In this episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast, Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia and India Reporter Bulbul Dhawan dive into the top travel stories from India this month. They explore Leela Hotels’ move toward an IPO, South Afbrica’s new visa reforms, and Oyo’s acquisition of Motel 6. The discussion also covers key trends in Indian aviation and how Indian millennials are driving a surge in travel spending. Key Points Leela Hotels plans a $599M IPO to reduce debt and expand into wildlife and heritage tourism. South Africa introduces visa relaxations aimed at boosting tourism from India and China. Oyo's acquisition of Motel 6 strengthens its presence in North America with 1,500 new locations. Summary In this episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast, the hosts discuss Leela Hotels' $599 million IPO aimed at debt reduction and expansion into wildlife and heritage tourism. The episode also covers South Africa's new visa reforms to attract Indian and Chinese tourists and Oyo's acquisition of Motel 6 to bolster its North American footprint. Additionally, the podcast explores the increasing preference for direct flights among Indian travelers and the rise in travel spending driven by Indian millennials. Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ X: https://twitter.com/skift Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry. In this episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast, Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia and India Reporter Bulbul Dhawan dive into the top travel stories from India this month. They explore Leela Hotels’ move toward an IPO, South Afbrica’s new visa reforms, and Oyo’s acquisition of Motel 6. The discussion also covers key trends in Indian aviation and how Indian millennials are driving a surge in travel spending.


Key Points

  • Leela Hotels plans a $599M IPO to reduce debt and expand into wildlife and heritage tourism.
  • South Africa introduces visa relaxations aimed at boosting tourism from India and China.
  • Oyo's acquisition of Motel 6 strengthens its presence in North America with 1,500 new locations.


Summary

In this episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast, the hosts discuss Leela Hotels' $599 million IPO aimed at debt reduction and expansion into wildlife and heritage tourism. The episode also covers South Africa's new visa reforms to attract Indian and Chinese tourists and Oyo's acquisition of Motel 6 to bolster its North American footprint. Additionally, the podcast explores the increasing preference for direct flights among Indian travelers and the rise in travel spending driven by Indian millennials.


Connect with Skift

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/

X: https://twitter.com/skift

Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/

WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/


Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry.

]]> 1576 no Air India-Vistara Merger: Strategic Win or Tata’s Gamble? Two major names in Indian aviation — Air India and Vistara — are set to become one. On November 11, Vistara will officially merge into Air India. Join Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia and Skift Research Analyst Ashab Rizvi as they dive into the merger, weighing whether it's a strategic win or a potential misstep for the Tata Group. Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ X: https://twitter.com/skift Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry. Tue, 17 Sep 2024 00:30:00 -0000 Air India-Vistara Merger: Strategic Win or Tata’s Gamble? full Skift Two major names in Indian aviation — Air India and Vistara — are set to become one. On November 11, Vistara will officially merge into Air India. Join Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia and Skift Research Analyst Ashab Rizvi as they dive into the merger, weighing whether it's a strategic win or a potential misstep for the Tata Group. Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ X: https://twitter.com/skift Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry. Two major names in Indian aviation — Air India and Vistara — are set to become one. On November 11, Vistara will officially merge into Air India. Join Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia and Skift Research Analyst Ashab Rizvi as they dive into the merger, weighing whether it's a strategic win or a potential misstep for the Tata Group.

Connect with Skift

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/

X: https://twitter.com/skift

Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/

WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/


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]]> 1829 The Great Digital Shift of India’s Road Transport Presented by Amadeus Skift Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia is joined by Prakash Sangam, the CEO of bus ticketing platform RedBus as they discuss the current state of India's road transport sector. They explore post-pandemic changes in road transport, driven by both technological innovations and changing consumer behavior. Find out why India’s vast network of roads, trains and buses serve as a lifeline for many travelers, in the latest episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast. Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ X: https://twitter.com/skift Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry. Tue, 10 Sep 2024 03:30:00 -0000 The Great Digital Shift of India’s Road Transport full Skift Presented by Amadeus Skift Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia is joined by Prakash Sangam, the CEO of bus ticketing platform RedBus as they discuss the current state of India's road transport sector. They explore post-pandemic changes in road transport, driven by both technological innovations and changing consumer behavior. Find out why India’s vast network of roads, trains and buses serve as a lifeline for many travelers, in the latest episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast. Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ X: https://twitter.com/skift Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry. Presented by Amadeus

Skift Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia is joined by Prakash Sangam, the CEO of bus ticketing platform RedBus as they discuss the current state of India's road transport sector. They explore post-pandemic changes in road transport, driven by both technological innovations and changing consumer behavior. Find out why India’s vast network of roads, trains and buses serve as a lifeline for many travelers, in the latest episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast.


Connect with Skift

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/

X: https://twitter.com/skift

Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/

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]]> 2566 Exploring India's Inbound Potential Presented by Amadeus Despite a strong recovery in 2023, India’s inbound numbers are still not back to pre-pandemic levels. What’s holding it back? Is it infrastructure, global perception, or something else? Catch Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia in conversation with Dipak Deva, managing director of Travel Corporation India, the country’s largest inbound travel company, as they dive into the challenges facing inbound tourism in the latest episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast. Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ X: https://twitter.com/skift Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry. Wed, 04 Sep 2024 01:30:00 -0000 Exploring India's Inbound Potential full Skift Presented by Amadeus Despite a strong recovery in 2023, India’s inbound numbers are still not back to pre-pandemic levels. What’s holding it back? Is it infrastructure, global perception, or something else? Catch Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia in conversation with Dipak Deva, managing director of Travel Corporation India, the country’s largest inbound travel company, as they dive into the challenges facing inbound tourism in the latest episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast. Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ X: https://twitter.com/skift Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry. Presented by Amadeus

Despite a strong recovery in 2023, India’s inbound numbers are still not back to pre-pandemic levels. What’s holding it back? Is it infrastructure, global perception, or something else? Catch Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia in conversation with Dipak Deva, managing director of Travel Corporation India, the country’s largest inbound travel company, as they dive into the challenges facing inbound tourism in the latest episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast.

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]]> 2144 India's Surging Role in Global Tourism Presented by Amadeus India's tourism industry is experiencing a major transformation, fueled by the growing middle class and increased disposable income. Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia and India Reporter Bulbul Dhawan recap this month's developments, discussing India's rising influence in global tourism. With the country's booming economy making headlines, what does this mean for global travel? Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ X: https://twitter.com/skift Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry. Tue, 27 Aug 2024 03:30:00 -0000 India's Surging Role in Global Tourism full Skift Presented by Amadeus India's tourism industry is experiencing a major transformation, fueled by the growing middle class and increased disposable income. Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia and India Reporter Bulbul Dhawan recap this month's developments, discussing India's rising influence in global tourism. With the country's booming economy making headlines, what does this mean for global travel? Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ X: https://twitter.com/skift Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry. Presented by Amadeus

India's tourism industry is experiencing a major transformation, fueled by the growing middle class and increased disposable income. Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia and India Reporter Bulbul Dhawan recap this month's developments, discussing India's rising influence in global tourism. With the country's booming economy making headlines, what does this mean for global travel?

Connect with Skift

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/

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]]> 1454 Insights on India from the Skift Travel Health Index Presented by Amadeus Catch Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia in conversation with Saniya Zanpure, Skift’s research analyst, as they dive into the Skift Travel Health Index (STHI) — a tool that tracks and measures the performance of various travel sectors. They explore why the travel industry in 2024 is mirroring 2023, with insights into the factors driving this stability. Plus, they look at India's rise as a major player in global travel and find out what's fueling this rapid growth. Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ X: https://twitter.com/skift Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry. Tue, 20 Aug 2024 03:41:01 -0000 Insights on India from the Skift Travel Health Index full Skift Presented by Amadeus Catch Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia in conversation with Saniya Zanpure, Skift’s research analyst, as they dive into the Skift Travel Health Index (STHI) — a tool that tracks and measures the performance of various travel sectors. They explore why the travel industry in 2024 is mirroring 2023, with insights into the factors driving this stability. Plus, they look at India's rise as a major player in global travel and find out what's fueling this rapid growth. Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ X: https://twitter.com/skift Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry. Presented by Amadeus

Catch Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia in conversation with Saniya Zanpure, Skift’s research analyst, as they dive into the Skift Travel Health Index (STHI) — a tool that tracks and measures the performance of various travel sectors. They explore why the travel industry in 2024 is mirroring 2023, with insights into the factors driving this stability. Plus, they look at India's rise as a major player in global travel and find out what's fueling this rapid growth.

Connect with Skift

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/

X: https://twitter.com/skift

Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/

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]]> 1959 Adapting to the Evolving Preferences of Indian Travelers Presented by Amadeus Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia sits down with Mahesh Iyer, Managing Director and CEO of Thomas Cook India, to explore how the company is strategically adapting to the evolving preferences of Indian travelers. The discussion delves into the shifting dynamics of India's travel landscape and how Thomas Cook is positioning itself to meet these new demands. Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ X: https://twitter.com/skift Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry. Tue, 13 Aug 2024 03:30:00 -0000 Adapting to the Evolving Preferences of Indian Travelers full Skift Presented by Amadeus Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia sits down with Mahesh Iyer, Managing Director and CEO of Thomas Cook India, to explore how the company is strategically adapting to the evolving preferences of Indian travelers. The discussion delves into the shifting dynamics of India's travel landscape and how Thomas Cook is positioning itself to meet these new demands. Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ X: https://twitter.com/skift Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry. Presented by Amadeus

Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia sits down with Mahesh Iyer, Managing Director and CEO of Thomas Cook India, to explore how the company is strategically adapting to the evolving preferences of Indian travelers. The discussion delves into the shifting dynamics of India's travel landscape and how Thomas Cook is positioning itself to meet these new demands.

Connect with Skift

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/

X: https://twitter.com/skift

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]]> 2037 Catering to The New Indian Traveler Presented by Amadeus Booking.com’s country manager for India, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Indonesia, Santosh Kumar, talks to Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia about the evolution of the new Indian traveler and how travel companies like his are positioning themselves to cater to these diverse travel planning styles. Find more such insights in the latest episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast, presented by Amadeus. Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ X: https://twitter.com/skift Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry. Tue, 06 Aug 2024 03:30:00 -0000 Catering to The New Indian Traveler full Skift Presented by Amadeus Booking.com’s country manager for India, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Indonesia, Santosh Kumar, talks to Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia about the evolution of the new Indian traveler and how travel companies like his are positioning themselves to cater to these diverse travel planning styles. Find more such insights in the latest episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast, presented by Amadeus. Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ X: https://twitter.com/skift Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry. Presented by Amadeus

Booking.com’s country manager for India, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Indonesia, Santosh Kumar, talks to Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia about the evolution of the new Indian traveler and how travel companies like his are positioning themselves to cater to these diverse travel planning styles. Find more such insights in the latest episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast, presented by Amadeus.


Connect with Skift

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/

X: https://twitter.com/skift

Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews

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Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry.

]]> 1961 Was the Indian Union Budget a Hit or a Miss? Presented by Amadeus Catch Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia and India Reporter Bulbul Dhawan unpack some of the biggest takeaways from the recent Union Budget announced in India as well as the earnings calls of IndiGo, MakeMyTrip, and the Indian Hotels Company Limited. Find out how the Budget fared compared to the expectations of the travel industry stakeholders in this latest episode of the SKift India Travel Podcast, presented by Aamdeus.  Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ X: https://twitter.com/skift Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry. Tue, 30 Jul 2024 05:00:00 -0000 Was the Indian Union Budget a Hit or a Miss? full Skift Presented by Amadeus Catch Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia and India Reporter Bulbul Dhawan unpack some of the biggest takeaways from the recent Union Budget announced in India as well as the earnings calls of IndiGo, MakeMyTrip, and the Indian Hotels Company Limited. Find out how the Budget fared compared to the expectations of the travel industry stakeholders in this latest episode of the SKift India Travel Podcast, presented by Aamdeus.  Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ X: https://twitter.com/skift Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry. Presented by Amadeus

Catch Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia and India Reporter Bulbul Dhawan unpack some of the biggest takeaways from the recent Union Budget announced in India as well as the earnings calls of IndiGo, MakeMyTrip, and the Indian Hotels Company Limited. Find out how the Budget fared compared to the expectations of the travel industry stakeholders in this latest episode of the SKift India Travel Podcast, presented by Aamdeus. 


Connect with Skift

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/

X: https://twitter.com/skift

Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews

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]]> 1320 Gatwick Airport Aims to Double Connectivity With India in 5 Years Presented by Amadeus Two years ago, Gatwick had no flights to India, and today the airport connects around 24 weekly Air India flights to four cities — Kochi, Amritsar, Ahmedabad, and Goa. Next month, Air India will be connecting Bengaluru to London Gatwick. Catch Stephanie Wear, the vice president of Aviation Development, at London Gatwick Airport in conversation with Skift Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia on Gatwick's ambitious plans for expanding its connectivity with India in the latest episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast, presented by Amadeus.   Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ X: https://twitter.com/skift Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry. Tue, 23 Jul 2024 03:17:21 -0000 Gatwick Airport Aims to Double Connectivity With India in 5 Years full Skift Presented by Amadeus Two years ago, Gatwick had no flights to India, and today the airport connects around 24 weekly Air India flights to four cities — Kochi, Amritsar, Ahmedabad, and Goa. Next month, Air India will be connecting Bengaluru to London Gatwick. Catch Stephanie Wear, the vice president of Aviation Development, at London Gatwick Airport in conversation with Skift Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia on Gatwick's ambitious plans for expanding its connectivity with India in the latest episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast, presented by Amadeus.   Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ X: https://twitter.com/skift Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry. Presented by Amadeus

Two years ago, Gatwick had no flights to India, and today the airport connects around 24 weekly Air India flights to four cities — Kochi, Amritsar, Ahmedabad, and Goa. Next month, Air India will be connecting Bengaluru to London Gatwick. Catch Stephanie Wear, the vice president of Aviation Development, at London Gatwick Airport in conversation with Skift Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia on Gatwick's ambitious plans for expanding its connectivity with India in the latest episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast, presented by Amadeus. 



Connect with Skift

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]]> 1149 The Growth in Demand for Alternative Stays The vacation rentals market represents a relatively small segment of India's hospitality industry. However, despite its small size, the short-term rental market has significant potential. Catch Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia in conversation with Skift Research’s Varsha Arora as they discuss what’s driving the growth of this sector in India, in the latest episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast, presented by Amadeus. Tue, 16 Jul 2024 02:30:00 -0000 The Growth in Demand for Alternative Stays full Skift The vacation rentals market represents a relatively small segment of India's hospitality industry. However, despite its small size, the short-term rental market has significant potential. Catch Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia in conversation with Skift Research’s Varsha Arora as they discuss what’s driving the growth of this sector in India, in the latest episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast, presented by Amadeus. The vacation rentals market represents a relatively small segment of India's hospitality industry. However, despite its small size, the short-term rental market has significant potential. Catch Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia in conversation with Skift Research’s Varsha Arora as they discuss what’s driving the growth of this sector in India, in the latest episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast, presented by Amadeus.

]]> 2154 Indian Weddings Get Bigger and Fatter https://skift.com/tag/skift-podcast/ Presented by Amadeus. The big fat Indian wedding just got bigger and fatter. Catch Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia and India Reporter Bulbul Dhawan discuss how Indians splurge twice as much on weddings as they do on 18 years of education. Hear them discuss the evolution of Indian high net-worth travelers, Ixigo’s multi app strategy and the travel industry’s expectations from the India budget. Get more India travel news at skift.com/tags/india Key Points Wedding Spending in India: Weddings are the second-largest consumption category in India, totaling $130 billion, second only to food and groceries. Indians spend twice as much on weddings as they do on 18 years of education. High-profile wedding celebrations, such as Anant Ambani's, illustrate the cultural emphasis on lavish ceremonies. High Net Worth Indian Travelers: Indian travelers are planning to spend more on leisure travel, with a significant portion willing to pay more for luxury hotel brands and wellness-focused trips. Fine dining and exclusive experiences are key drivers for Indian travelers. India is emerging as a key player in the Asia Pacific region for exclusive travel experiences. Ixigo’s Multi-App Strategy: Ixigo has opted to maintain multiple apps rather than consolidating into a single super app. The strategy aims to cater to diverse travel needs, providing focused and customized experiences for different types of travelers. Despite separate apps, Ixigo ensures seamless access to all its services across platforms. InterGlobe's Miiro Hotels to Debut in Europe: Miiro Hotels is launching its first property in Paris, followed by others in Barcelona, London, and Vienna. This venture represents a strategic diversification effort for InterGlobe Enterprises, aiming to tap into the European hospitality market. The focus is on creating profitable and sustainable hotel operations, despite current economic challenges. Inbound Tourism in India: While domestic tourism is booming, international inbound tourism is lagging behind. A significant cut in the budget for global tourism promotion and the need for better visa policies are identified as key issues. The government’s efforts to boost tourism, such as the “Wed in India” campaign, and infrastructure improvements are acknowledged, but more needs to be done to attract international tourists. Union Budget Expectations: The tourism industry seeks consistent support from the government, emphasizing the need for infrastructure status and better policies. Despite previous government promises, the industry still faces challenges in obtaining the necessary support and recognition for its contributions to the economy and employment. All this and more in the latest episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast, presented by Amadeus. Tue, 09 Jul 2024 02:30:00 -0000 Indian Weddings Get Bigger and Fatter full Skift Catch Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia and India Reporter Bulbul Dhawan discuss how Indians splurge twice as much on weddings as they do on 18 years of education. Presented by Amadeus. The big fat Indian wedding just got bigger and fatter. Catch Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia and India Reporter Bulbul Dhawan discuss how Indians splurge twice as much on weddings as they do on 18 years of education. Hear them discuss the evolution of Indian high net-worth travelers, Ixigo’s multi app strategy and the travel industry’s expectations from the India budget. Get more India travel news at skift.com/tags/india Key Points Wedding Spending in India: Weddings are the second-largest consumption category in India, totaling $130 billion, second only to food and groceries. Indians spend twice as much on weddings as they do on 18 years of education. High-profile wedding celebrations, such as Anant Ambani's, illustrate the cultural emphasis on lavish ceremonies. High Net Worth Indian Travelers: Indian travelers are planning to spend more on leisure travel, with a significant portion willing to pay more for luxury hotel brands and wellness-focused trips. Fine dining and exclusive experiences are key drivers for Indian travelers. India is emerging as a key player in the Asia Pacific region for exclusive travel experiences. Ixigo’s Multi-App Strategy: Ixigo has opted to maintain multiple apps rather than consolidating into a single super app. The strategy aims to cater to diverse travel needs, providing focused and customized experiences for different types of travelers. Despite separate apps, Ixigo ensures seamless access to all its services across platforms. InterGlobe's Miiro Hotels to Debut in Europe: Miiro Hotels is launching its first property in Paris, followed by others in Barcelona, London, and Vienna. This venture represents a strategic diversification effort for InterGlobe Enterprises, aiming to tap into the European hospitality market. The focus is on creating profitable and sustainable hotel operations, despite current economic challenges. Inbound Tourism in India: While domestic tourism is booming, international inbound tourism is lagging behind. A significant cut in the budget for global tourism promotion and the need for better visa policies are identified as key issues. The government’s efforts to boost tourism, such as the “Wed in India” campaign, and infrastructure improvements are acknowledged, but more needs to be done to attract international tourists. Union Budget Expectations: The tourism industry seeks consistent support from the government, emphasizing the need for infrastructure status and better policies. Despite previous government promises, the industry still faces challenges in obtaining the necessary support and recognition for its contributions to the economy and employment. All this and more in the latest episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast, presented by Amadeus. Presented by Amadeus.

The big fat Indian wedding just got bigger and fatter. Catch Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia and India Reporter Bulbul Dhawan discuss how Indians splurge twice as much on weddings as they do on 18 years of education. Hear them discuss the evolution of Indian high net-worth travelers, Ixigo’s multi app strategy and the travel industry’s expectations from the India budget.

Get more India travel news at skift.com/tags/india

Key Points

Wedding Spending in India: Weddings are the second-largest consumption category in India, totaling $130 billion, second only to food and groceries. Indians spend twice as much on weddings as they do on 18 years of education. High-profile wedding celebrations, such as Anant Ambani's, illustrate the cultural emphasis on lavish ceremonies.

High Net Worth Indian Travelers: Indian travelers are planning to spend more on leisure travel, with a significant portion willing to pay more for luxury hotel brands and wellness-focused trips. Fine dining and exclusive experiences are key drivers for Indian travelers. India is emerging as a key player in the Asia Pacific region for exclusive travel experiences.

Ixigo’s Multi-App Strategy: Ixigo has opted to maintain multiple apps rather than consolidating into a single super app. The strategy aims to cater to diverse travel needs, providing focused and customized experiences for different types of travelers. Despite separate apps, Ixigo ensures seamless access to all its services across platforms.

InterGlobe's Miiro Hotels to Debut in Europe: Miiro Hotels is launching its first property in Paris, followed by others in Barcelona, London, and Vienna. This venture represents a strategic diversification effort for InterGlobe Enterprises, aiming to tap into the European hospitality market. The focus is on creating profitable and sustainable hotel operations, despite current economic challenges.

Inbound Tourism in India: While domestic tourism is booming, international inbound tourism is lagging behind. A significant cut in the budget for global tourism promotion and the need for better visa policies are identified as key issues. The government’s efforts to boost tourism, such as the “Wed in India” campaign, and infrastructure improvements are acknowledged, but more needs to be done to attract international tourists.

Union Budget Expectations: The tourism industry seeks consistent support from the government, emphasizing the need for infrastructure status and better policies. Despite previous government promises, the industry still faces challenges in obtaining the necessary support and recognition for its contributions to the economy and employment.

All this and more in the latest episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast, presented by Amadeus.

]]> 1971 no Why There Are No Direct Flights Connecting India and China https://skift.com/tag/podcasts Presented by Amadeus In this episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast, Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia and India Reporter Bulbul Dhawan delve into the significant decline in India-China flight connectivity since December 2019, which saw 539 direct passenger flights reduced to none due to Covid-19 and subsequent border tensions. In sharp contrast is India’s connectivity with the Middle East which they mention is thriving, highlighted by ambitious tourism targets from countries like Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, and Qatar. They also discuss the growing importance of India as a key tourism source market for the U.S., noting the surge in Indian visitors despite visa wait times. The podcast also touches on financial technology company Paytm's strategic moves to enhance its travel offerings through partnerships with travel aggregators and airlines, reflecting the company's diversification and growth in the travel sector. Get more travel news at Skift.com Presented by Amadeus Tue, 02 Jul 2024 09:52:48 -0000 Why There Are No Direct Flights Connecting India and China full Skift In this episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast, Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia and India Reporter Bulbul Dhawan delve into the significant decline in India-China flight connectivity since December 2019. Presented by Amadeus In this episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast, Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia and India Reporter Bulbul Dhawan delve into the significant decline in India-China flight connectivity since December 2019, which saw 539 direct passenger flights reduced to none due to Covid-19 and subsequent border tensions. In sharp contrast is India’s connectivity with the Middle East which they mention is thriving, highlighted by ambitious tourism targets from countries like Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, and Qatar. They also discuss the growing importance of India as a key tourism source market for the U.S., noting the surge in Indian visitors despite visa wait times. The podcast also touches on financial technology company Paytm's strategic moves to enhance its travel offerings through partnerships with travel aggregators and airlines, reflecting the company's diversification and growth in the travel sector. Get more travel news at Skift.com Presented by Amadeus Presented by Amadeus

In this episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast, Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia and India Reporter Bulbul Dhawan delve into the significant decline in India-China flight connectivity since December 2019, which saw 539 direct passenger flights reduced to none due to Covid-19 and subsequent border tensions. In sharp contrast is India’s connectivity with the Middle East which they mention is thriving, highlighted by ambitious tourism targets from countries like Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, and Qatar.

They also discuss the growing importance of India as a key tourism source market for the U.S., noting the surge in Indian visitors despite visa wait times. The podcast also touches on financial technology company Paytm's strategic moves to enhance its travel offerings through partnerships with travel aggregators and airlines, reflecting the company's diversification and growth in the travel sector.

Get more travel news at Skift.com

Presented by Amadeus

]]> 1612 no Goa Beyond Beaches and an Index to Track Travel Stocks Presented by Amadeus.  Long known as the party destination in India, Goa now feels the need to move beyond its image of beaches, nightlife and parties and is looking to present itself as an ideal destination for remote workers. This week at the Skift India Travel Podcast catch Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia and India Reporter Bulbul Dhawan discuss this image makeover of the coastal state and why the launch of a sectoral index specifically to track travel listings is good news for investors and the tourism industry alike. All this and more at this week's episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast. Get more travel news at https://skift.com Tue, 25 Jun 2024 02:30:00 -0000 Goa Beyond Beaches and an Index to Track Travel Stocks full Skift Presented by Amadeus.  Long known as the party destination in India, Goa now feels the need to move beyond its image of beaches, nightlife and parties and is looking to present itself as an ideal destination for remote workers. This week at the Skift India Travel Podcast catch Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia and India Reporter Bulbul Dhawan discuss this image makeover of the coastal state and why the launch of a sectoral index specifically to track travel listings is good news for investors and the tourism industry alike. All this and more at this week's episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast. Get more travel news at https://skift.com Presented by Amadeus. 

Long known as the party destination in India, Goa now feels the need to move beyond its image of beaches, nightlife and parties and is looking to present itself as an ideal destination for remote workers. This week at the Skift India Travel Podcast catch Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia and India Reporter Bulbul Dhawan discuss this image makeover of the coastal state and why the launch of a sectoral index specifically to track travel listings is good news for investors and the tourism industry alike. All this and more at this week's episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast.

Get more travel news at https://skift.com

]]> 1841 The Largest IPO in Indian Hospitality Sector Which hotel group is coming up with the largest IPO in the history of India’s hospitality sector? Which large Indian carrier is now offering hotel booking options? Find out responses to all this and more as the Skift India Travel discusses the latest happenings in the Indian travel, tourism and hospitality sector in this episode, presented by Amadeus. Get more travel news at https://skift.com Tue, 18 Jun 2024 02:30:00 -0000 The Largest IPO in Indian Hospitality Sector full Skift Which hotel group is coming up with the largest IPO in the history of India’s hospitality sector? Which large Indian carrier is now offering hotel booking options? Find out responses to all this and more as the Skift India Travel discusses the latest happenings in the Indian travel, tourism and hospitality sector in this episode, presented by Amadeus. Get more travel news at https://skift.com Which hotel group is coming up with the largest IPO in the history of India’s hospitality sector? Which large Indian carrier is now offering hotel booking options? Find out responses to all this and more as the Skift India Travel discusses the latest happenings in the Indian travel, tourism and hospitality sector in this episode, presented by Amadeus.

Get more travel news at https://skift.com

]]> 1598 IPO Season is Here in India! If you thought the IPL season in India was big, just wait until you hear about the IPO season. Following TBO Tek’s debut on the Indian stock exchange last month, online travel company Ixigo listed on the Indian bourses this week. Join Skift’s Peden Doma Bhutia and Bulbul Dhawan as they discuss the market sentiment towards travel IPOs. Also, discover why Air India’s CEO stated that the airline’s investment in new aircraft will depend on the government’s policies on bilateral agreements and seat capacity grants, and why Accor’s CEO finds opening a hotel in India to be a tedious process. Catch all this and more in the latest edition of the Skift India Travel Podcast, presented by Amadeus. Get more travel news at https://skift.com Tue, 11 Jun 2024 02:30:00 -0000 IPO Season is Here in India! full Skift If you thought the IPL season in India was big, just wait until you hear about the IPO season. Following TBO Tek’s debut on the Indian stock exchange last month, online travel company Ixigo listed on the Indian bourses this week. Join Skift’s Peden Doma Bhutia and Bulbul Dhawan as they discuss the market sentiment towards travel IPOs. Also, discover why Air India’s CEO stated that the airline’s investment in new aircraft will depend on the government’s policies on bilateral agreements and seat capacity grants, and why Accor’s CEO finds opening a hotel in India to be a tedious process. Catch all this and more in the latest edition of the Skift India Travel Podcast, presented by Amadeus. Get more travel news at https://skift.com If you thought the IPL season in India was big, just wait until you hear about the IPO season. Following TBO Tek’s debut on the Indian stock exchange last month, online travel company Ixigo listed on the Indian bourses this week. Join Skift’s Peden Doma Bhutia and Bulbul Dhawan as they discuss the market sentiment towards travel IPOs. Also, discover why Air India’s CEO stated that the airline’s investment in new aircraft will depend on the government’s policies on bilateral agreements and seat capacity grants, and why Accor’s CEO finds opening a hotel in India to be a tedious process. Catch all this and more in the latest edition of the Skift India Travel Podcast, presented by Amadeus.

Get more travel news at https://skift.com

]]> 2238 Oyo's Latest Rating Upgrade and IndiGo's Business Class Plans Tune into the Skift India Travel Podcast this week to discover the reasons behind Oyo’s Fitch rating upgrade, get the inside scoop on IndiGo’s new business class and long-haul flight plans, and learn more about India’s DigiYatra initiative. Join Skift Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia and India Reporter Bulbul Dhawan as they delve into these topics and more in the latest episode, presented by Amadeus. Get more travel news at https://skift.com Tue, 04 Jun 2024 02:30:00 -0000 Oyo's Latest Rating Upgrade and IndiGo's Business Class Plans full Skift Tune into the Skift India Travel Podcast this week to discover the reasons behind Oyo’s Fitch rating upgrade, get the inside scoop on IndiGo’s new business class and long-haul flight plans, and learn more about India’s DigiYatra initiative. Join Skift Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia and India Reporter Bulbul Dhawan as they delve into these topics and more in the latest episode, presented by Amadeus. Get more travel news at https://skift.com Tune into the Skift India Travel Podcast this week to discover the reasons behind Oyo’s Fitch rating upgrade, get the inside scoop on IndiGo’s new business class and long-haul flight plans, and learn more about India’s DigiYatra initiative. Join Skift Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia and India Reporter Bulbul Dhawan as they delve into these topics and more in the latest episode, presented by Amadeus.

Get more travel news at https://skift.com

]]> 2244 IndiGo's Business Class and Oyo's IPO Pause https://skift.com/tag/india/ Did you miss out on some of the biggest stories from India last week? Not to worry, we've got you covered. In this episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast, join Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia and India Reporter Bulbul Dhawan as they delve into IndiGo’s exciting announcement of a new business class and explore the latest challenges and successes in the Indian hospitality sector. Stay tuned for all this and in this episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast. Get more news about travel and India at https://skift.com/tag/india/ Presented by Amadeus Tue, 28 May 2024 02:30:00 -0000 IndiGo's Business Class and Oyo's IPO Pause full Skift Did you miss out on some of the biggest stories from India last week? Not to worry, we've got you covered. In this episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast, join Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia and India Reporter Bulbul Dhawan as they delve into IndiGo’s exciting announcement of a new business class and explore the latest challenges and successes in the Indian hospitality sector. Stay tuned for all this and in this episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast. Get more news about travel and India at https://skift.com/tag/india/ Presented by Amadeus Did you miss out on some of the biggest stories from India last week? Not to worry, we've got you covered. In this episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast, join Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia and India Reporter Bulbul Dhawan as they delve into IndiGo’s exciting announcement of a new business class and explore the latest challenges and successes in the Indian hospitality sector. Stay tuned for all this and in this episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast.

Get more news about travel and India at https://skift.com/tag/india/

Presented by Amadeus

]]> 1966 no IPOs and Airline Mergers https://skift.com/tag/india/ From TBO Tek's IPO launch and Akasa Air's international network to the future of Vistara's loyalty program post its merger with Air India, join Skift Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia and India Reporter Bulbul Dhawan as they discuss some of the biggest headlines from India. Stay updated on the latest in India's travel, aviation and hospitality sector in this episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast. Get more news about travel and India at https://skift.com/tag/india/ Presented by Amadeus Tue, 21 May 2024 02:30:00 -0000 IPOs and Airline Mergers full Skift From TBO Tek's IPO launch and Akasa Air's international network to the future of Vistara's loyalty program post its merger with Air India, join Skift Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia and India Reporter Bulbul Dhawan as they discuss some of the biggest headlines from India. Stay updated on the latest in India's travel, aviation and hospitality sector in this episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast. Get more news about travel and India at https://skift.com/tag/india/ Presented by Amadeus From TBO Tek's IPO launch and Akasa Air's international network to the future of Vistara's loyalty program post its merger with Air India, join Skift Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia and India Reporter Bulbul Dhawan as they discuss some of the biggest headlines from India. Stay updated on the latest in India's travel, aviation and hospitality sector in this episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast.

Get more news about travel and India at https://skift.com/tag/india/

Presented by Amadeus

]]> 1771 What's Making News in India? In this episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast, Skift Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia and India Reporter, Bulbul Dhawan discuss some of the latest developments taking place in India. From IndiGo’s first-ever order for widebody aircraft and IHCL bringing back the Gateway brand from the 'drawer' to India's first-ever 'Wed in India' expo, hear them explore the big headlines from the country. Tune in to catch up on the latest. Presented by Amadeus. Tue, 14 May 2024 02:30:00 -0000 What's Making News in India? full Skift In this episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast, Skift Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia and India Reporter, Bulbul Dhawan discuss some of the latest developments taking place in India. From IndiGo’s first-ever order for widebody aircraft and IHCL bringing back the Gateway brand from the 'drawer' to India's first-ever 'Wed in India' expo, hear them explore the big headlines from the country. Tune in to catch up on the latest. Presented by Amadeus. In this episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast, Skift Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia and India Reporter, Bulbul Dhawan discuss some of the latest developments taking place in India. From IndiGo’s first-ever order for widebody aircraft and IHCL bringing back the Gateway brand from the 'drawer' to India's first-ever 'Wed in India' expo, hear them explore the big headlines from the country. Tune in to catch up on the latest.


Presented by Amadeus.

]]> 1517 How Minor Hotels is Identifying Emerging Destinations in India Minor Hotels has set ambitious targets for its India expansion, aiming to open 50 properties over the next decade. Amir Golbarg, senior vice president for Middle East, Africa, and India at Minor Hotels talks to Skift Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia about the unique opportunities that arise from operating in India's underpenetrated hospitality market. Tue, 07 May 2024 02:30:00 -0000 How Minor Hotels is Identifying Emerging Destinations in India full Skift Minor Hotels has set ambitious targets for its India expansion, aiming to open 50 properties over the next decade. Amir Golbarg, senior vice president for Middle East, Africa, and India at Minor Hotels talks to Skift Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia about the unique opportunities that arise from operating in India's underpenetrated hospitality market. Minor Hotels has set ambitious targets for its India expansion, aiming to open 50 properties over the next decade. Amir Golbarg, senior vice president for Middle East, Africa, and India at Minor Hotels talks to Skift Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia about the unique opportunities that arise from operating in India's underpenetrated hospitality market.

]]> 1694 How Does Summer Travel Look Like for Indians As the new Schengen visa “cascade” regime looks to offer longer-term, multi-entry Schengen visas for Indian travelers, Skift Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia talks to Vishal Suri, managing director of SOTC Travel, about the developments in visa regulations for Indian travelers, summer travel and the evolving travel trends in India and beyond. Tue, 30 Apr 2024 02:30:00 -0000 How Does Summer Travel Look Like for Indians full Skift As the new Schengen visa “cascade” regime looks to offer longer-term, multi-entry Schengen visas for Indian travelers, Skift Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia talks to Vishal Suri, managing director of SOTC Travel, about the developments in visa regulations for Indian travelers, summer travel and the evolving travel trends in India and beyond. As the new Schengen visa “cascade” regime looks to offer longer-term, multi-entry Schengen visas for Indian travelers, Skift Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia talks to Vishal Suri, managing director of SOTC Travel, about the developments in visa regulations for Indian travelers, summer travel and the evolving travel trends in India and beyond.

]]> 1993 India's Evolving Travel Landscape In this episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast, Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia is joined by Skift India Reporter Bulbul Dhawan as they discuss some of the big stories coming out from India in the past week. They explore significant developments from hotel expansions to shifts in travel preferences and market projections. Tue, 23 Apr 2024 03:36:00 -0000 India's Evolving Travel Landscape full Skift In this episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast, Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia is joined by Skift India Reporter Bulbul Dhawan as they discuss some of the big stories coming out from India in the past week. They explore significant developments from hotel expansions to shifts in travel preferences and market projections. In this episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast, Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia is joined by Skift India Reporter Bulbul Dhawan as they discuss some of the big stories coming out from India in the past week. They explore significant developments from hotel expansions to shifts in travel preferences and market projections.

]]> 1595 Vistara-Air India Merger Hits Pilot Turbulence In this episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia is joined by Vishal Bhadola, founder and CEO of EyeforSky Aviation Consulting, to discuss about the recent disruptions at Vistara, leading to over 150 cancellations and 200 delays exceeding two hours in around 4days. The cancellations and delays have primarily been attributed to crew unavailability. The airline's pilots are protesting against the new pay structure, which significantly reduces guaranteed flying hours for First Officers following the alignment of pay structures between Vistara and Air India. Bhadola discusses what this means for Vistara's merger with Air India, and the broader implications for the Indian aviation industry.    Tue, 16 Apr 2024 02:30:00 -0000 Vistara-Air India Merger Hits Pilot Turbulence full Skift In this episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia is joined by Vishal Bhadola, founder and CEO of EyeforSky Aviation Consulting, to discuss about the recent disruptions at Vistara, leading to over 150 cancellations and 200 delays exceeding two hours in around 4days. The cancellations and delays have primarily been attributed to crew unavailability. The airline's pilots are protesting against the new pay structure, which significantly reduces guaranteed flying hours for First Officers following the alignment of pay structures between Vistara and Air India. Bhadola discusses what this means for Vistara's merger with Air India, and the broader implications for the Indian aviation industry.    In this episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia is joined by Vishal Bhadola, founder and CEO of EyeforSky Aviation Consulting, to discuss about the recent disruptions at Vistara, leading to over 150 cancellations and 200 delays exceeding two hours in around 4days. The cancellations and delays have primarily been attributed to crew unavailability. The airline's pilots are protesting against the new pay structure, which significantly reduces guaranteed flying hours for First Officers following the alignment of pay structures between Vistara and Air India. Bhadola discusses what this means for Vistara's merger with Air India, and the broader implications for the Indian aviation industry.   

]]> 2195 Revisiting Skift India Summit This episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast is is dedicated to recapping the highlights and key takeaways from the Skift India Summit that took place in Delhi NCR last month. We share with you some of the discussion on stage. Listen in and you will know more about the Oyo IPO launch, Air India's "start-up" mentality, Oberoi Hotels' focus on smaller hotels and MakeMyTrip and Yatra's take on online penetration in India's travel market. Tue, 09 Apr 2024 02:30:00 -0000 Revisiting Skift India Summit full Skift This episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast is is dedicated to recapping the highlights and key takeaways from the Skift India Summit that took place in Delhi NCR last month. We share with you some of the discussion on stage. Listen in and you will know more about the Oyo IPO launch, Air India's "start-up" mentality, Oberoi Hotels' focus on smaller hotels and MakeMyTrip and Yatra's take on online penetration in India's travel market. This episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast is is dedicated to recapping the highlights and key takeaways from the Skift India Summit that took place in Delhi NCR last month. We share with you some of the discussion on stage. Listen in and you will know more about the Oyo IPO launch, Air India's "start-up" mentality, Oberoi Hotels' focus on smaller hotels and MakeMyTrip and Yatra's take on online penetration in India's travel market.

]]> 805 The Impressive Resurgence of Indian Outbound Tourism to Australia In a conversation with Skift Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia, Nishant Kashikar, country manager for India & Gulf at Tourism Australia, discusses the impressive resurgence of Indian outbound tourism to Australia and the strategies behind it. Kashikar discusses how improved flight connections and streamlining the visa process has made this recovery possible. He also discusses the importance of the rising Indian middle class and its role in fueling India’s outbound resurgence. Wed, 17 Jan 2024 03:30:00 -0000 The Impressive Resurgence of Indian Outbound Tourism to Australia full Skift In a conversation with Skift Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia, Nishant Kashikar, country manager for India & Gulf at Tourism Australia, discusses the impressive resurgence of Indian outbound tourism to Australia and the strategies behind it. Kashikar discusses how improved flight connections and streamlining the visa process has made this recovery possible. He also discusses the importance of the rising Indian middle class and its role in fueling India’s outbound resurgence. In a conversation with Skift Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia, Nishant Kashikar, country manager for India & Gulf at Tourism Australia, discusses the impressive resurgence of Indian outbound tourism to Australia and the strategies behind it. Kashikar discusses how improved flight connections and streamlining the visa process has made this recovery possible. He also discusses the importance of the rising Indian middle class and its role in fueling India’s outbound resurgence.

]]> 1214 How India Can Become a Hub for Digital Nomads https://skift.com/tag/skift-podcast/ While remote work gains ground, a subgroup of professionals is taking it a step further— enter the digital nomads. These are individuals who leverage technology not just to work from home but to work from anywhere, exploring the diverse landscapes of a destination. In this episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast, Mayur Sontakke, the founder of NomadGao, a co-living and coworking space for digital nomads, talks to Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia about the journey towards mainstream acceptance of remote work and digital nomads in India.      Tue, 19 Dec 2023 10:28:20 -0000 How India Can Become a Hub for Digital Nomads full Skift Mayur Sontakke, the founder of NomadGao, a co-living and coworking space for digital nomads, talks to Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia about the journey towards mainstream acceptance of remote work and digital nomads in India. While remote work gains ground, a subgroup of professionals is taking it a step further— enter the digital nomads. These are individuals who leverage technology not just to work from home but to work from anywhere, exploring the diverse landscapes of a destination. In this episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast, Mayur Sontakke, the founder of NomadGao, a co-living and coworking space for digital nomads, talks to Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia about the journey towards mainstream acceptance of remote work and digital nomads in India.      While remote work gains ground, a subgroup of professionals is taking it a step further— enter the digital nomads. These are individuals who leverage technology not just to work from home but to work from anywhere, exploring the diverse landscapes of a destination.


In this episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast, Mayur Sontakke, the founder of NomadGao, a co-living and coworking space for digital nomads, talks to Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia about the journey towards mainstream acceptance of remote work and digital nomads in India.     

]]> 1720 no The Pulse of Indian Travel In this episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast, Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia is joined by Varsha Arora, research manager at Skift, as they discuss a range of topics related to the Indian travel, aviation and hospitality industry. Catch them as they discuss the changing visa landscape for Indian travelers to capacity additions by major airlines and a controversial tourist tax proposal in Darjeeling.  Tue, 12 Dec 2023 03:30:00 -0000 The Pulse of Indian Travel full Skift In this episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast, Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia is joined by Varsha Arora, research manager at Skift, as they discuss a range of topics related to the Indian travel, aviation and hospitality industry. Catch them as they discuss the changing visa landscape for Indian travelers to capacity additions by major airlines and a controversial tourist tax proposal in Darjeeling.  In this episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast, Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia is joined by Varsha Arora, research manager at Skift, as they discuss a range of topics related to the Indian travel, aviation and hospitality industry. Catch them as they discuss the changing visa landscape for Indian travelers to capacity additions by major airlines and a controversial tourist tax proposal in Darjeeling. 

]]> 1603 Travel Now, Pay Later Choices Catch on in India https://skift.com/tag/skift-podcast/ In the latest episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast, Abhilasha Negi and Akash Dahiya, co-founders of travel fintech firm Sankash, talk to Skift Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia about how the unprecedented boom in leisure travel after the easing of restrictions imposed during the pandemic have led to the rise of Travel Now Pay Later offerings. Sankash has been working with online travel agencies like EaseMyTrip and Musafir to offer flexible payment options to Indian travelers. The travel fintech firm also offers Sail Now Pay Later options for cruises. Tue, 05 Dec 2023 09:36:15 -0000 Travel Now, Pay Later Choices Catch on in India full Skift In the latest episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast we talk travel fintech and the new travel now, pay later programs catching on with travelers. In the latest episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast, Abhilasha Negi and Akash Dahiya, co-founders of travel fintech firm Sankash, talk to Skift Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia about how the unprecedented boom in leisure travel after the easing of restrictions imposed during the pandemic have led to the rise of Travel Now Pay Later offerings. Sankash has been working with online travel agencies like EaseMyTrip and Musafir to offer flexible payment options to Indian travelers. The travel fintech firm also offers Sail Now Pay Later options for cruises. In the latest episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast, Abhilasha Negi and Akash Dahiya, co-founders of travel fintech firm Sankash, talk to Skift Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia about how the unprecedented boom in leisure travel after the easing of restrictions imposed during the pandemic have led to the rise of Travel Now Pay Later offerings. Sankash has been working with online travel agencies like EaseMyTrip and Musafir to offer flexible payment options to Indian travelers. The travel fintech firm also offers Sail Now Pay Later options for cruises.

]]> 1547 no Agoda's Growing Focus on India: Celebrity Endorsements and Partnerships https://skift.com/tag/skift-podcast/ Summary Agoda has recently made significant moves in the Indian market, including appointing Ayushmann Khurana as their brand ambassador, launching their first TV ad in India, and forming a partnership with Snapdeal. Rathi explains that one of Agoda's key strategies in India is to collaborate with various partners, given the rich startup ecosystem and the large number of users already online. They aim to tap into Snapdeal's user base to offer Agoda's services to a wider audience, particularly in tier two and tier three cities. On the impact of celebrity endorsements on brands in India, where film and cricket celebrities have a significant influence on consumer trust and brand recognition, Agoda's collaboration with Ayushmann Khurana is seen as a way to make the brand more endearing to Indian consumers. The conversation delves into the changing travel trends in India, with an increasing number of people, including the middle class, traveling more frequently. The post-Covid era has seen a surge in domestic and international travel, driven by a newfound love for travel and the economic stability of the Indian market. India is now a focus market for various countries, including those in the subcontinent. Rathi also emphasizes the role of family travel in India and highlights how Indian travelers often explore destinations closer to home. He notes that the frequency of travel has increased, and international tourists are also showing a growing interest in India. Regarding Agoda's alignment with the Indian market, Rathi explains that Agoda recognizes India's strong tech focus and has set up a global tech center in the country. India's mobile-first approach and smartphone adoption have positioned it as one of the largest markets for mobile app adoption. The Agoda India chief acknowledges the importance of delivering value for money and high standards of customer service in India. Agoda invests in understanding customer feedback and continuously strives to provide the best deals for its customers. In terms of future developments, Agoda is working to make it easier for partners to list their properties on their platform and is also focusing on promoting sustainable tourism. On the consumer side, it aims to continue offering the best prices and is expanding its advertising campaigns to reach more Indian consumers, like the one with Ayushmann Khurana. Tue, 07 Nov 2023 09:42:05 -0000 Agoda's Growing Focus on India: Celebrity Endorsements and Partnerships full Skift Agoda's growing focus on the Indian market includes collaborations with partners like Snapdeal, appointing Ayushmann Khurana as their brand ambassador, and launching their first TV ad in India, as the company recognizes the importance of aligning with India's strong tech focus and delivering high standards of customer service. Summary Agoda has recently made significant moves in the Indian market, including appointing Ayushmann Khurana as their brand ambassador, launching their first TV ad in India, and forming a partnership with Snapdeal. Rathi explains that one of Agoda's key strategies in India is to collaborate with various partners, given the rich startup ecosystem and the large number of users already online. They aim to tap into Snapdeal's user base to offer Agoda's services to a wider audience, particularly in tier two and tier three cities. On the impact of celebrity endorsements on brands in India, where film and cricket celebrities have a significant influence on consumer trust and brand recognition, Agoda's collaboration with Ayushmann Khurana is seen as a way to make the brand more endearing to Indian consumers. The conversation delves into the changing travel trends in India, with an increasing number of people, including the middle class, traveling more frequently. The post-Covid era has seen a surge in domestic and international travel, driven by a newfound love for travel and the economic stability of the Indian market. India is now a focus market for various countries, including those in the subcontinent. Rathi also emphasizes the role of family travel in India and highlights how Indian travelers often explore destinations closer to home. He notes that the frequency of travel has increased, and international tourists are also showing a growing interest in India. Regarding Agoda's alignment with the Indian market, Rathi explains that Agoda recognizes India's strong tech focus and has set up a global tech center in the country. India's mobile-first approach and smartphone adoption have positioned it as one of the largest markets for mobile app adoption. The Agoda India chief acknowledges the importance of delivering value for money and high standards of customer service in India. Agoda invests in understanding customer feedback and continuously strives to provide the best deals for its customers. In terms of future developments, Agoda is working to make it easier for partners to list their properties on their platform and is also focusing on promoting sustainable tourism. On the consumer side, it aims to continue offering the best prices and is expanding its advertising campaigns to reach more Indian consumers, like the one with Ayushmann Khurana. Summary

Agoda has recently made significant moves in the Indian market, including appointing Ayushmann Khurana as their brand ambassador, launching their first TV ad in India, and forming a partnership with Snapdeal.

Rathi explains that one of Agoda's key strategies in India is to collaborate with various partners, given the rich startup ecosystem and the large number of users already online. They aim to tap into Snapdeal's user base to offer Agoda's services to a wider audience, particularly in tier two and tier three cities.

On the impact of celebrity endorsements on brands in India, where film and cricket celebrities have a significant influence on consumer trust and brand recognition, Agoda's collaboration with Ayushmann Khurana is seen as a way to make the brand more endearing to Indian consumers.

The conversation delves into the changing travel trends in India, with an increasing number of people, including the middle class, traveling more frequently. The post-Covid era has seen a surge in domestic and international travel, driven by a newfound love for travel and the economic stability of the Indian market. India is now a focus market for various countries, including those in the subcontinent.

Rathi also emphasizes the role of family travel in India and highlights how Indian travelers often explore destinations closer to home. He notes that the frequency of travel has increased, and international tourists are also showing a growing interest in India.

Regarding Agoda's alignment with the Indian market, Rathi explains that Agoda recognizes India's strong tech focus and has set up a global tech center in the country. India's mobile-first approach and smartphone adoption have positioned it as one of the largest markets for mobile app adoption.

The Agoda India chief acknowledges the importance of delivering value for money and high standards of customer service in India. Agoda invests in understanding customer feedback and continuously strives to provide the best deals for its customers.

In terms of future developments, Agoda is working to make it easier for partners to list their properties on their platform and is also focusing on promoting sustainable tourism. On the consumer side, it aims to continue offering the best prices and is expanding its advertising campaigns to reach more Indian consumers, like the one with Ayushmann Khurana.

]]> 1248 no How Yatra.com Is Going Beyond Just Booking Services https://skift.com/tag/skift-podcast/ In this episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast, Dhruv Shringi, CEO and co-founder of Yatra.com, in conversation with Skift’s Peden Doma Bhutia, talks about timing the India IPO launch in September and how Yatra is looking at the booming travel market in the country. Delving into the integration of technology into Yatra's services, Shringi shares about going beyond the standard booking functionality and how subscription programs like Yatra Prime play a pivotal role in enhancing customer satisfaction.  Wed, 01 Nov 2023 03:30:00 -0000 How Yatra.com Is Going Beyond Just Booking Services full Skift Yatra CEO Dhruv Shringi joins the podcast to provide deeper insights into Yatra's IPO success, its growth strategies, and the evolving landscape of the travel industry in India. In this episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast, Dhruv Shringi, CEO and co-founder of Yatra.com, in conversation with Skift’s Peden Doma Bhutia, talks about timing the India IPO launch in September and how Yatra is looking at the booming travel market in the country. Delving into the integration of technology into Yatra's services, Shringi shares about going beyond the standard booking functionality and how subscription programs like Yatra Prime play a pivotal role in enhancing customer satisfaction.  In this episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast, Dhruv Shringi, CEO and co-founder of Yatra.com, in conversation with Skift’s Peden Doma Bhutia, talks about timing the India IPO launch in September and how Yatra is looking at the booming travel market in the country. Delving into the integration of technology into Yatra's services, Shringi shares about going beyond the standard booking functionality and how subscription programs like Yatra Prime play a pivotal role in enhancing customer satisfaction. 

]]> 1279 no Red Sea Global Sets Sights on India https://skift.com/tag/skift-podcast/ The Red Sea Global may not have very ambitious visitor numbers, but it is looking at India as a crucial source market. Speaking about Red Sea Global’s interest in the Indian market, Reema Almokhtar, director – travel trade marketing, tells Skift Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia about how they are looking to deliver value to Indian tourists. Tue, 24 Oct 2023 03:30:00 -0000 Red Sea Global Sets Sights on India full Skift The Red Sea Global may not have very ambitious visitor numbers, but it is looking at India as a crucial source market. Speaking about Red Sea Global’s interest in the Indian market, Reema Almokhtar, director – travel trade marketing, tells Skift Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia about how they are looking to deliver value to Indian tourists. The Red Sea Global may not have very ambitious visitor numbers, but it is looking at India as a crucial source market. Speaking about Red Sea Global’s interest in the Indian market, Reema Almokhtar, director – travel trade marketing, tells Skift Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia about how they are looking to deliver value to Indian tourists.

]]> 1094 no Rising Middle Class Reshapes India's Travel Landscape https://skift.com/2023/10/17/musician-john-legend-releasing-app-to-counter-negative-google-and-yelp-reviews/ In this episode of the Skift India Podcast Aloke Bajpai, the CEO and co founder of Ixigo, talks to Skift Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia about the "next billion Indian opportunity" in tier-2 and tier-3 markets. Bajpai narrates how the substantial increase in disposable income among the rising middle class in India is rapidly reshaping the country's travel landscape. Bajpai also talks about the long-awaited Ixigo IPO.  Bajpai discusses show Ixigo places a strong emphasis on creating a culture of empathy and ownership among its employees, which has greatly contributed to the high level of customer satisfaction they provide. Bajpai highlights the importance of understanding the Indian travel market, noting that only 25% of the market is currently transacted through online travel agencies (OTAs). He believes that the real growth will come from reaching the next billion users, especially those in smaller cities and emerging middle-class consumers. Ixigo aims to tap into this potential by expanding its services beyond flights and trains, including packages, tours, and hotels. Bajpai also discusses Ixigo’s move into AI-driven solutions and the role of AI in the OTA industry. Ixigo has been an early adopter of AI, introducing chatbots and leveraging large language models to enhance user experiences. He describes the evolution of AI as transformative for top-of-the-funnel behaviors, making trip planning more personalized and interactive. Regarding the topic of an IPO, Bajpai shares that Ixigo is currently focusing on execution and will consider public listing in the future, with a possibility of evaluating it next year. This is in line with the growing trend of Indian travel companies going public, demonstrating the maturity and profitability of the sector. Tue, 17 Oct 2023 03:30:00 -0000 Rising Middle Class Reshapes India's Travel Landscape full Skift Wondering where is the next billion opportunity for India's travel industry? Meet the rising middle class with increased disposable incomes. In this episode of the Skift India Podcast Aloke Bajpai, the CEO and co founder of Ixigo, talks to Skift Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia about the "next billion Indian opportunity" in tier-2 and tier-3 markets. Bajpai narrates how the substantial increase in disposable income among the rising middle class in India is rapidly reshaping the country's travel landscape. Bajpai also talks about the long-awaited Ixigo IPO.  Bajpai discusses show Ixigo places a strong emphasis on creating a culture of empathy and ownership among its employees, which has greatly contributed to the high level of customer satisfaction they provide. Bajpai highlights the importance of understanding the Indian travel market, noting that only 25% of the market is currently transacted through online travel agencies (OTAs). He believes that the real growth will come from reaching the next billion users, especially those in smaller cities and emerging middle-class consumers. Ixigo aims to tap into this potential by expanding its services beyond flights and trains, including packages, tours, and hotels. Bajpai also discusses Ixigo’s move into AI-driven solutions and the role of AI in the OTA industry. Ixigo has been an early adopter of AI, introducing chatbots and leveraging large language models to enhance user experiences. He describes the evolution of AI as transformative for top-of-the-funnel behaviors, making trip planning more personalized and interactive. Regarding the topic of an IPO, Bajpai shares that Ixigo is currently focusing on execution and will consider public listing in the future, with a possibility of evaluating it next year. This is in line with the growing trend of Indian travel companies going public, demonstrating the maturity and profitability of the sector. In this episode of the Skift India Podcast Aloke Bajpai, the CEO and co founder of Ixigo, talks to Skift Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia about the "next billion Indian opportunity" in tier-2 and tier-3 markets. Bajpai narrates how the substantial increase in disposable income among the rising middle class in India is rapidly reshaping the country's travel landscape. Bajpai also talks about the long-awaited Ixigo IPO. 

Bajpai discusses show Ixigo places a strong emphasis on creating a culture of empathy and ownership among its employees, which has greatly contributed to the high level of customer satisfaction they provide. Bajpai highlights the importance of understanding the Indian travel market, noting that only 25% of the market is currently transacted through online travel agencies (OTAs). He believes that the real growth will come from reaching the next billion users, especially those in smaller cities and emerging middle-class consumers. Ixigo aims to tap into this potential by expanding its services beyond flights and trains, including packages, tours, and hotels.

Bajpai also discusses Ixigo’s move into AI-driven solutions and the role of AI in the OTA industry. Ixigo has been an early adopter of AI, introducing chatbots and leveraging large language models to enhance user experiences. He describes the evolution of AI as transformative for top-of-the-funnel behaviors, making trip planning more personalized and interactive.

Regarding the topic of an IPO, Bajpai shares that Ixigo is currently focusing on execution and will consider public listing in the future, with a possibility of evaluating it next year. This is in line with the growing trend of Indian travel companies going public, demonstrating the maturity and profitability of the sector.

]]> 1794 no Cleartrip's Travel Superapp Ambitions In this episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast, Skift Asia Editor, Peden Doma Bhutia, talks to Cleartrip CEO, Ayyappan Ragagopal, about the online travel company's  journey post the acquisition by Indian ecommerce platform Flipkart. Ayyappan also sheds light on Cleartrip's vision of becoming a travel superapp as it looks to capture the relatively nascent "browse and buy" market in India and the online travel company's various initiatives in the travel and fintech space. Tue, 10 Oct 2023 13:50:00 -0000 Cleartrip's Travel Superapp Ambitions full Skift In this episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast, Skift Asia Editor, Peden Doma Bhutia, talks to Cleartrip CEO, Ayyappan Ragagopal, about the online travel company's  journey post the acquisition by Indian ecommerce platform Flipkart. Ayyappan also sheds light on Cleartrip's vision of becoming a travel superapp as it looks to capture the relatively nascent "browse and buy" market in India and the online travel company's various initiatives in the travel and fintech space. In this episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast, Skift Asia Editor, Peden Doma Bhutia, talks to Cleartrip CEO, Ayyappan Ragagopal, about the online travel company's 

journey post the acquisition by Indian ecommerce platform Flipkart. Ayyappan also sheds light on Cleartrip's vision of becoming a travel superapp as it looks to capture the relatively nascent "browse and buy" market in India and the online travel company's various initiatives in the travel and fintech space.

]]> 1842 Skift Brings Its Summit to India Next Year Skift Founder and CEO Rafat Ali in conversation with Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia, talks about launching the Skift India Summit in Delhi-NCR on March 20-21, 2024. Skift has been documenting India's rise in the global travel industry and is set to shape its future. With the outbound Indian traveler gaining global influence and the booming domestic market, Skift India Summit will explore the future of travel, focusing on India's role and global opportunities. Tue, 03 Oct 2023 03:30:00 -0000 Skift Brings Its Summit to India Next Year full Skift Skift Founder and CEO Rafat Ali in conversation with Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia, talks about launching the Skift India Summit in Delhi-NCR on March 20-21, 2024. Skift has been documenting India's rise in the global travel industry and is set to shape its future. With the outbound Indian traveler gaining global influence and the booming domestic market, Skift India Summit will explore the future of travel, focusing on India's role and global opportunities. Skift Founder and CEO Rafat Ali in conversation with Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia, talks about launching the Skift India Summit in Delhi-NCR on March 20-21, 2024. Skift has been documenting India's rise in the global travel industry and is set to shape its future. With the outbound Indian traveler gaining global influence and the booming domestic market, Skift India Summit will explore the future of travel, focusing on India's role and global opportunities.

]]> 1628 Making Travel Inclusive for All https://skift.com/tag/skift-podcast/ Neha Arora, the founder of Planet Abled, an inclusive travel brand promoting travel for persons with disabilities and the elderly, talks to Skift’s Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia about why it's important for the Indian travel Industry to be more accessible and inclusive.  Tue, 26 Sep 2023 03:30:00 -0000 Making Travel Inclusive for All full Skift Neha Arora, the founder of Planet Abled, an inclusive travel brand promoting travel for persons with disabilities and the elderly, talks to Skift’s Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia about why it's important for the Indian travel Industry to be more accessible and inclusive.  Neha Arora, the founder of Planet Abled, an inclusive travel brand promoting travel for persons with disabilities and the elderly, talks to Skift’s Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia about why it's important for the Indian travel Industry to be more accessible and inclusive. 

]]> 1531 MakeMyTrip’s Business Travel Offering Gains Traction https://skift.com/tag/skift-podcast/ One of the segments that has started showing results for MakeMyTrip is its corporate travel platform, MyBiz. “Pre-pandemic, we were not predominantly playing in this segment. A large part of our business used to be business-to-consumer, but during the pandemic we accelerated our efforts on acquiring new customers on small and medium enterprises as well as for large corporates,” Rajesh Magow, co-founder and group CEO of MakeMyTrip, told Skift’s Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia in the latest episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast. A key reason why MakeMyTrip was not focused on corporate business, according to Magow, was the limited deployment of technology in the segment. “We always felt there was less innovation in this space and we should wait for our opportunity,” he added.  The intent is to automate the entire booking process for corporate travelers’ domestic and international flights. The platform also offers a range of services, including booking hotels in India and overseas, trains, cabs, bus, among other offerings.  Business travel in India is recovering faster than in other markets.  Despite being a late entrant in the corporate travel segment, MyBiz has already become one of the leading online travel agencies in the space owing to its high level of automation and transparency. The platform has recently crossed the 50,000-client user base within just four years of its launch. How AI is Powering Travel Experiences MakeMyTrip’s recent roll-out of a voice chat service, powered by artificial intelligence assistant, is designed to help users book flights and holidays by offering personalized and relevant information without having to scroll through multiple reviews.  “For example, it can summarize hotel reviews and extract individual traveler impressions. We’ve also tried to make it easier by building separate tags categorized under ‘food’, ‘rooms’, etc. to enhance the customer experience,” said Magow.  The generative AI integration, involving simple visual cues and voice commands in native Indian languages, analyzes specific user requirements and sifts through thousands of options to recommend more relevant holiday packages.  The idea, according to Magow, is to learn from some of these use cases through customer feedback and continue to fine-tune them to deliver a good experience. 3 Key Takeaways from the Episode Despite soaring airfares and hotel rates, the overall consumer sentiment has been positive given the growing inclination towards spending a larger portion of disposable income in travel. With travelers’ desire to experience offbeat locations, the company is expanding its inventory of alternative accommodations — comprising hostels, service apartments, and homestays/villas. Seasonality tailwinds and changing habits of the Indian traveler led MakeMyTrip post its highest-ever quarterly gross bookings at $1.98 billion. Tue, 19 Sep 2023 03:00:00 -0000 MakeMyTrip’s Business Travel Offering Gains Traction full Skift Rajesh Magow, co-founder and group CEO of MakeMyTrip, speaks with Skift’s Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia in the latest episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast. One of the segments that has started showing results for MakeMyTrip is its corporate travel platform, MyBiz. “Pre-pandemic, we were not predominantly playing in this segment. A large part of our business used to be business-to-consumer, but during the pandemic we accelerated our efforts on acquiring new customers on small and medium enterprises as well as for large corporates,” Rajesh Magow, co-founder and group CEO of MakeMyTrip, told Skift’s Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia in the latest episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast. A key reason why MakeMyTrip was not focused on corporate business, according to Magow, was the limited deployment of technology in the segment. “We always felt there was less innovation in this space and we should wait for our opportunity,” he added.  The intent is to automate the entire booking process for corporate travelers’ domestic and international flights. The platform also offers a range of services, including booking hotels in India and overseas, trains, cabs, bus, among other offerings.  Business travel in India is recovering faster than in other markets.  Despite being a late entrant in the corporate travel segment, MyBiz has already become one of the leading online travel agencies in the space owing to its high level of automation and transparency. The platform has recently crossed the 50,000-client user base within just four years of its launch. How AI is Powering Travel Experiences MakeMyTrip’s recent roll-out of a voice chat service, powered by artificial intelligence assistant, is designed to help users book flights and holidays by offering personalized and relevant information without having to scroll through multiple reviews.  “For example, it can summarize hotel reviews and extract individual traveler impressions. We’ve also tried to make it easier by building separate tags categorized under ‘food’, ‘rooms’, etc. to enhance the customer experience,” said Magow.  The generative AI integration, involving simple visual cues and voice commands in native Indian languages, analyzes specific user requirements and sifts through thousands of options to recommend more relevant holiday packages.  The idea, according to Magow, is to learn from some of these use cases through customer feedback and continue to fine-tune them to deliver a good experience. 3 Key Takeaways from the Episode Despite soaring airfares and hotel rates, the overall consumer sentiment has been positive given the growing inclination towards spending a larger portion of disposable income in travel. With travelers’ desire to experience offbeat locations, the company is expanding its inventory of alternative accommodations — comprising hostels, service apartments, and homestays/villas. Seasonality tailwinds and changing habits of the Indian traveler led MakeMyTrip post its highest-ever quarterly gross bookings at $1.98 billion. One of the segments that has started showing results for MakeMyTrip is its corporate travel platform, MyBiz.

“Pre-pandemic, we were not predominantly playing in this segment. A large part of our business used to be business-to-consumer, but during the pandemic we accelerated our efforts on acquiring new customers on small and medium enterprises as well as for large corporates,” Rajesh Magow, co-founder and group CEO of MakeMyTrip, told Skift’s Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia in the latest episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast.

A key reason why MakeMyTrip was not focused on corporate business, according to Magow, was the limited deployment of technology in the segment.

“We always felt there was less innovation in this space and we should wait for our opportunity,” he added. 

The intent is to automate the entire booking process for corporate travelers’ domestic and international flights. The platform also offers a range of services, including booking hotels in India and overseas, trains, cabs, bus, among other offerings. 

Business travel in India is recovering faster than in other markets. 

Despite being a late entrant in the corporate travel segment, MyBiz has already become one of the leading online travel agencies in the space owing to its high level of automation and transparency. The platform has recently crossed the 50,000-client user base within just four years of its launch.

How AI is Powering Travel Experiences

MakeMyTrip’s recent roll-out of a voice chat service, powered by artificial intelligence assistant, is designed to help users book flights and holidays by offering personalized and relevant information without having to scroll through multiple reviews. 

“For example, it can summarize hotel reviews and extract individual traveler impressions. We’ve also tried to make it easier by building separate tags categorized under ‘food’, ‘rooms’, etc. to enhance the customer experience,” said Magow. 

The generative AI integration, involving simple visual cues and voice commands in native Indian languages, analyzes specific user requirements and sifts through thousands of options to recommend more relevant holiday packages. 

The idea, according to Magow, is to learn from some of these use cases through customer feedback and continue to fine-tune them to deliver a good experience.

3 Key Takeaways from the Episode

  1. Despite soaring airfares and hotel rates, the overall consumer sentiment has been positive given the growing inclination towards spending a larger portion of disposable income in travel.
  2. With travelers’ desire to experience offbeat locations, the company is expanding its inventory of alternative accommodations — comprising hostels, service apartments, and homestays/villas.
  3. Seasonality tailwinds and changing habits of the Indian traveler led MakeMyTrip post its highest-ever quarterly gross bookings at $1.98 billion.
]]> 1963 no Thomas Cook Digs Deeper Into the Habits of Indian Travelers https://skift.com/tag/skift-podcast/ More Indians are taking personal loans to travel and meet vacation-related expenses, according to Madhavan Menon, executive chairman of Thomas Cook India.  “The average Indian traveler is now more willing to spend rather than save. They want to indulge in new experiences such as motorcycle rides from Leh to Ladakh, glamping, and trekking,” Menon told Skift’s Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia in the latest episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast. In fact, a study by online loan platform Paisabazaar revealed that as many as 21% of consumers took a personal loan for vacation in the first half of the year — with 81% for domestic travel and 19% for foreign travel in the first quarter of financial year 2023. Menon also pointed out the emergence of the Indian traveler who would rather go on several short vacations and weekend getaways instead of one long holiday. To capitalize on the growing demand for these trips, Thomas Cook in July launched “India’s Incredible Short Breaks,” which is emerging from not just India’s metros and mini metros but also tier 2 and tier 3 cities. Mon, 11 Sep 2023 21:46:01 -0000 Thomas Cook Digs Deeper Into the Habits of Indian Travelers full Skift With a dramatic shift in traveler behavior, industry stakeholders must reimagine their offerings to cater to the new domestic tourist. More Indians are taking personal loans to travel and meet vacation-related expenses, according to Madhavan Menon, executive chairman of Thomas Cook India.  “The average Indian traveler is now more willing to spend rather than save. They want to indulge in new experiences such as motorcycle rides from Leh to Ladakh, glamping, and trekking,” Menon told Skift’s Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia in the latest episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast. In fact, a study by online loan platform Paisabazaar revealed that as many as 21% of consumers took a personal loan for vacation in the first half of the year — with 81% for domestic travel and 19% for foreign travel in the first quarter of financial year 2023. Menon also pointed out the emergence of the Indian traveler who would rather go on several short vacations and weekend getaways instead of one long holiday. To capitalize on the growing demand for these trips, Thomas Cook in July launched “India’s Incredible Short Breaks,” which is emerging from not just India’s metros and mini metros but also tier 2 and tier 3 cities. More Indians are taking personal loans to travel and meet vacation-related expenses, according to Madhavan Menon, executive chairman of Thomas Cook India. 

“The average Indian traveler is now more willing to spend rather than save. They want to indulge in new experiences such as motorcycle rides from Leh to Ladakh, glamping, and trekking,” Menon told Skift’s Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia in the latest episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast.

In fact, a study by online loan platform Paisabazaar revealed that as many as 21% of consumers took a personal loan for vacation in the first half of the year — with 81% for domestic travel and 19% for foreign travel in the first quarter of financial year 2023.

Menon also pointed out the emergence of the Indian traveler who would rather go on several short vacations and weekend getaways instead of one long holiday. To capitalize on the growing demand for these trips, Thomas Cook in July launched “India’s Incredible Short Breaks,” which is emerging from not just India’s metros and mini metros but also tier 2 and tier 3 cities.

]]> 1674 no Why India Is a Priority Market for Airbnb https://skift.com/tag/skift-podcast/ The overall nights booked on Airbnb in India have grown by almost 70% in 2022 as compared to pre-pandemic levels while domestic nights grew by 110%. “We have seen more than double growth in bookings for international travels during the January-March quarter this year when compared to the corresponding period last year,” Airbnb’s General Manager for India, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan, Amanpreet Singh Bajaj told Skift’s Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia in the latest episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast. The company in June signed a memorandum of understanding with India’s Ministry of Tourism to promote the country as a sought-after tourism destination and shine a spotlight on its cultural heritage. It also launched a dedicated ‘Soul of India’ microsite that showcases a range of heritage stays across the country.  “Destination promotion is a big part of this partnership. We don’t want to just focus on India’s tourism hotspots but also work with underserved communities and regions, train people there so that we are able to position India on the global map holistically,” said Bajaj. As part of the partnership, Airbnb is also offering support to hosts in untapped tourist areas, assisting them in promoting their homestays, building host capacity, and fostering a culture of responsible hosting. “We are sharing travel insights and homestay insights with the Ministry of Tourism so it leads to a more informed ecosystem in terms of responsible tourism policies and training requirements,” he added. Over the years, Airbnb inked deals with the tourism departments of Goa, Maharashtra and a few Northeastern states to boost hinterland and homestay tourism and enable capacity building of hospitality entrepreneurs in the states.  “When we work with the government, there is a growing consciousness in terms of creating policies that are easy in terms of registration requirements for a host so that it attracts more people to undertake this micro entrepreneurial opportunity,” said Bajaj. Several states which have adopted homestay policies are now encouraging more people to open up their homes to the world.  “We are working with state governments to share global best practices and create awareness about policies as part of our collaboration with the tourism ministry for our hosts to comply with the requirements from respective states,” he said. Other Takeaways from the Episode Since November last year, twice as many prospective hosts are now matching with superhosts and receiving personalized guidance as they navigate the process of becoming first-time hosts.  Travel is increasingly led by millennials and Gen Zs who value experiential travel by making responsible choices, tread off-the-beaten paths, and exercise flexibility in planning their travels. Airbnb, with its platform and the use of technology, creates the perfect avenue for both hospitality and entrepreneurship — passion points that are intrinsic to Indian culture. With features like identity verification, background checks, and round-the-clock helplines in multiple languages, Airbnb ensures the safety of both guests and hosts. Tourism is now spreading beyond the hotspots where only a few cities or neighborhoods would benefit from the tourism dollars. Communities have taken center stage, which contribute towards supporting the regional microeconomics and even the national economy. Tue, 05 Sep 2023 03:00:00 -0000 Why India Is a Priority Market for Airbnb full Skift The real investment for Airbnb lies in its people — the host community and their ability to deliver unique experiences to guests. The overall nights booked on Airbnb in India have grown by almost 70% in 2022 as compared to pre-pandemic levels while domestic nights grew by 110%. “We have seen more than double growth in bookings for international travels during the January-March quarter this year when compared to the corresponding period last year,” Airbnb’s General Manager for India, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan, Amanpreet Singh Bajaj told Skift’s Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia in the latest episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast. The company in June signed a memorandum of understanding with India’s Ministry of Tourism to promote the country as a sought-after tourism destination and shine a spotlight on its cultural heritage. It also launched a dedicated ‘Soul of India’ microsite that showcases a range of heritage stays across the country.  “Destination promotion is a big part of this partnership. We don’t want to just focus on India’s tourism hotspots but also work with underserved communities and regions, train people there so that we are able to position India on the global map holistically,” said Bajaj. As part of the partnership, Airbnb is also offering support to hosts in untapped tourist areas, assisting them in promoting their homestays, building host capacity, and fostering a culture of responsible hosting. “We are sharing travel insights and homestay insights with the Ministry of Tourism so it leads to a more informed ecosystem in terms of responsible tourism policies and training requirements,” he added. Over the years, Airbnb inked deals with the tourism departments of Goa, Maharashtra and a few Northeastern states to boost hinterland and homestay tourism and enable capacity building of hospitality entrepreneurs in the states.  “When we work with the government, there is a growing consciousness in terms of creating policies that are easy in terms of registration requirements for a host so that it attracts more people to undertake this micro entrepreneurial opportunity,” said Bajaj. Several states which have adopted homestay policies are now encouraging more people to open up their homes to the world.  “We are working with state governments to share global best practices and create awareness about policies as part of our collaboration with the tourism ministry for our hosts to comply with the requirements from respective states,” he said. Other Takeaways from the Episode Since November last year, twice as many prospective hosts are now matching with superhosts and receiving personalized guidance as they navigate the process of becoming first-time hosts.  Travel is increasingly led by millennials and Gen Zs who value experiential travel by making responsible choices, tread off-the-beaten paths, and exercise flexibility in planning their travels. Airbnb, with its platform and the use of technology, creates the perfect avenue for both hospitality and entrepreneurship — passion points that are intrinsic to Indian culture. With features like identity verification, background checks, and round-the-clock helplines in multiple languages, Airbnb ensures the safety of both guests and hosts. Tourism is now spreading beyond the hotspots where only a few cities or neighborhoods would benefit from the tourism dollars. Communities have taken center stage, which contribute towards supporting the regional microeconomics and even the national economy. The overall nights booked on Airbnb in India have grown by almost 70% in 2022 as compared to pre-pandemic levels while domestic nights grew by 110%.

“We have seen more than double growth in bookings for international travels during the January-March quarter this year when compared to the corresponding period last year,” Airbnb’s General Manager for India, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan, Amanpreet Singh Bajaj told Skift’s Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia in the latest episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast.

The company in June signed a memorandum of understanding with India’s Ministry of Tourism to promote the country as a sought-after tourism destination and shine a spotlight on its cultural heritage. It also launched a dedicated ‘Soul of India’ microsite that showcases a range of heritage stays across the country. 

“Destination promotion is a big part of this partnership. We don’t want to just focus on India’s tourism hotspots but also work with underserved communities and regions, train people there so that we are able to position India on the global map holistically,” said Bajaj.

As part of the partnership, Airbnb is also offering support to hosts in untapped tourist areas, assisting them in promoting their homestays, building host capacity, and fostering a culture of responsible hosting.

“We are sharing travel insights and homestay insights with the Ministry of Tourism so it leads to a more informed ecosystem in terms of responsible tourism policies and training requirements,” he added.

Over the years, Airbnb inked deals with the tourism departments of Goa, Maharashtra and a few Northeastern states to boost hinterland and homestay tourism and enable capacity building of hospitality entrepreneurs in the states. 

“When we work with the government, there is a growing consciousness in terms of creating policies that are easy in terms of registration requirements for a host so that it attracts more people to undertake this micro entrepreneurial opportunity,” said Bajaj.

Several states which have adopted homestay policies are now encouraging more people to open up their homes to the world. 

“We are working with state governments to share global best practices and create awareness about policies as part of our collaboration with the tourism ministry for our hosts to comply with the requirements from respective states,” he said.

Other Takeaways from the Episode

  1. Since November last year, twice as many prospective hosts are now matching with superhosts and receiving personalized guidance as they navigate the process of becoming first-time hosts. 
  2. Travel is increasingly led by millennials and Gen Zs who value experiential travel by making responsible choices, tread off-the-beaten paths, and exercise flexibility in planning their travels.
  3. Airbnb, with its platform and the use of technology, creates the perfect avenue for both hospitality and entrepreneurship — passion points that are intrinsic to Indian culture.
  4. With features like identity verification, background checks, and round-the-clock helplines in multiple languages, Airbnb ensures the safety of both guests and hosts.
  5. Tourism is now spreading beyond the hotspots where only a few cities or neighborhoods would benefit from the tourism dollars. Communities have taken center stage, which contribute towards supporting the regional microeconomics and even the national economy.
]]> 1550 How No Footprints Empowers Indian Communities Through Curated Travel Itineraries https://skift.com/tag/skift-podcast/ Moving away from mundane heritage walks, Eesha Singh, co-founder of No Footprints, brings a new take to storytelling through tour experiences.  With 35 experiences in Mumbai and Delhi, No Footprints aims to highlight neglected conversations about culture, people and communities.  “Instead of making history sound boring, we wanted to be humorous when we started our journey in tourism. We wanted to look at storytelling from the lens of a standup comedy and ensure that a city is understood well in a couple of hours,” Singh told Skift’s Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia in the latest episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast.   Launching with the “Mumbai by Dawn” tour in 2014, the company later developed community-focused tours around Parsis, East Indians and the indigenous Koli fishing community in the city.  Some of its prominent tours are: Mumbai by Dawn: Starting at 5 a.m., these tours explore the inner workings of the city — from newspaper and milk delivery to fishing, fruit and vegetable distribution. “Mumbai is best experienced at dawn, right before the chaos sets in,” said Singh.  Queer Day Out: Usually led by a queer tour activist, this tour maps out the journey of queer history in the country. “When we launched this tour, people were confusing queer tours with queer-friendly tours,” Singh said. “And so we needed people to understand queer narratives, queer history and queer subculture.”  Refugee Food Tour: These tours help travelers understand how international communities are reclaiming their identities through food. Singh spoke of how celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor did a whole tour with them in Delhi to understand the capital’s refugee community.   Earlier in April, No Footprints hosted celebrities and curated tours for actors Tom Holland and Zendaya, model Gigi Hadid, and chef Nigella Lawson on their visit to Mumbai.  New Habits of the Indian Traveler Indian travelers are now more keen on experiences than simply ticking off an items on a bucket list.  “When we launched our experiential tours, we were not sure if the domestic traveler would take them on. But we have observed a heightened interest among them to seek for experiences beyond food and drink in a city,” said Singh.  The company recently conducted a foraging workshop and worked with The Bombay Natural History Society to understand wildlife conservation.  Pre-pandemic, No Footprints was catering to the inbound market.  “We’ve been lucky to be at the right place at the right time. As the local audience had no access to travel outside of their city, we started doing a lot of backyard tourism which encouraged people to become tourists in their own backyards, to explore and reconnect with places very close to home,” said Singh.   Additionally, the company started offering immersive workshop-led tours during weekends for the domestic traveler and also engaged with schools to make integrations into the curriculum that enables students to learn more about their city. “In a way, domestic travelers’ changing travel preferences aligned perfectly with our offering post-Covid,” she said. Tue, 29 Aug 2023 10:07:24 -0000 How No Footprints Empowers Indian Communities Through Curated Travel Itineraries full Skift Indian travelers are increasingly looking for experiences that allow them to connect with local cultures, discover new learnings, and create lasting memories. Moving away from mundane heritage walks, Eesha Singh, co-founder of No Footprints, brings a new take to storytelling through tour experiences.  With 35 experiences in Mumbai and Delhi, No Footprints aims to highlight neglected conversations about culture, people and communities.  “Instead of making history sound boring, we wanted to be humorous when we started our journey in tourism. We wanted to look at storytelling from the lens of a standup comedy and ensure that a city is understood well in a couple of hours,” Singh told Skift’s Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia in the latest episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast.   Launching with the “Mumbai by Dawn” tour in 2014, the company later developed community-focused tours around Parsis, East Indians and the indigenous Koli fishing community in the city.  Some of its prominent tours are: Mumbai by Dawn: Starting at 5 a.m., these tours explore the inner workings of the city — from newspaper and milk delivery to fishing, fruit and vegetable distribution. “Mumbai is best experienced at dawn, right before the chaos sets in,” said Singh.  Queer Day Out: Usually led by a queer tour activist, this tour maps out the journey of queer history in the country. “When we launched this tour, people were confusing queer tours with queer-friendly tours,” Singh said. “And so we needed people to understand queer narratives, queer history and queer subculture.”  Refugee Food Tour: These tours help travelers understand how international communities are reclaiming their identities through food. Singh spoke of how celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor did a whole tour with them in Delhi to understand the capital’s refugee community.   Earlier in April, No Footprints hosted celebrities and curated tours for actors Tom Holland and Zendaya, model Gigi Hadid, and chef Nigella Lawson on their visit to Mumbai.  New Habits of the Indian Traveler Indian travelers are now more keen on experiences than simply ticking off an items on a bucket list.  “When we launched our experiential tours, we were not sure if the domestic traveler would take them on. But we have observed a heightened interest among them to seek for experiences beyond food and drink in a city,” said Singh.  The company recently conducted a foraging workshop and worked with The Bombay Natural History Society to understand wildlife conservation.  Pre-pandemic, No Footprints was catering to the inbound market.  “We’ve been lucky to be at the right place at the right time. As the local audience had no access to travel outside of their city, we started doing a lot of backyard tourism which encouraged people to become tourists in their own backyards, to explore and reconnect with places very close to home,” said Singh.   Additionally, the company started offering immersive workshop-led tours during weekends for the domestic traveler and also engaged with schools to make integrations into the curriculum that enables students to learn more about their city. “In a way, domestic travelers’ changing travel preferences aligned perfectly with our offering post-Covid,” she said. Moving away from mundane heritage walks, Eesha Singh, co-founder of No Footprints, brings a new take to storytelling through tour experiences. 

With 35 experiences in Mumbai and Delhi, No Footprints aims to highlight neglected conversations about culture, people and communities. 

“Instead of making history sound boring, we wanted to be humorous when we started our journey in tourism. We wanted to look at storytelling from the lens of a standup comedy and ensure that a city is understood well in a couple of hours,” Singh told Skift’s Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia in the latest episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast.  

Launching with the “Mumbai by Dawn” tour in 2014, the company later developed community-focused tours around Parsis, East Indians and the indigenous Koli fishing community in the city. 

Some of its prominent tours are:

  1. Mumbai by Dawn: Starting at 5 a.m., these tours explore the inner workings of the city — from newspaper and milk delivery to fishing, fruit and vegetable distribution. “Mumbai is best experienced at dawn, right before the chaos sets in,” said Singh. 
  2. Queer Day Out: Usually led by a queer tour activist, this tour maps out the journey of queer history in the country. “When we launched this tour, people were confusing queer tours with queer-friendly tours,” Singh said. “And so we needed people to understand queer narratives, queer history and queer subculture.” 
  3. Refugee Food Tour: These tours help travelers understand how international communities are reclaiming their identities through food. Singh spoke of how celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor did a whole tour with them in Delhi to understand the capital’s refugee community.  

Earlier in April, No Footprints hosted celebrities and curated tours for actors Tom Holland and Zendaya, model Gigi Hadid, and chef Nigella Lawson on their visit to Mumbai. 

New Habits of the Indian Traveler

Indian travelers are now more keen on experiences than simply ticking off an items on a bucket list. 

“When we launched our experiential tours, we were not sure if the domestic traveler would take them on. But we have observed a heightened interest among them to seek for experiences beyond food and drink in a city,” said Singh. 

The company recently conducted a foraging workshop and worked with The Bombay Natural History Society to understand wildlife conservation. 

Pre-pandemic, No Footprints was catering to the inbound market. 

“We’ve been lucky to be at the right place at the right time. As the local audience had no access to travel outside of their city, we started doing a lot of backyard tourism which encouraged people to become tourists in their own backyards, to explore and reconnect with places very close to home,” said Singh.  

Additionally, the company started offering immersive workshop-led tours during weekends for the domestic traveler and also engaged with schools to make integrations into the curriculum that enables students to learn more about their city.

“In a way, domestic travelers’ changing travel preferences aligned perfectly with our offering post-Covid,” she said.

]]> 1372 no How RateGain Plans to Boost Growth https://skift.com/tag/skift-podcast/ India-headquartered travel tech firm RateGain thinks it is in a “very commanding position” to double its revenue over the next three years.  A software-as-a-service solutions provider for the hospitality and travel industry, RateGain feeds real-time consumer insights into its software, packages it and sells it as a subscription to airlines, hotels, and online travel agents.   Speaking with Skift’s Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia in the latest episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast, co-founder Bhanu Chopra listed out the company’s growth levers as: Penetrating Key Markets: RateGain is keen on further expansion into Europe and U.S. and looks to develop new products for these markets.  Investment in Research and Development: RateGain plans to address some of the gaps in its overall vision to build an integrated tech stack — which enables customers to acquire guests, engage with them, and retain them.  Pursuing Mergers and Acquisitions: The company continues to seek out travel tech firms that have established complimentary products or capabilities. Earlier this year, RateGain acquired Adara, a Silicon Valley-based firm in travel martechand predictive consumer intelligence, the company’s fourth acquisition and the first since it went public in 2021. Adara focuses on finding ways to measure the actual travel intent of a customer. The Silicon Valley-based firm helps consumer brands find new customers using targeting technology powered by data sourced from travel and hospitality companies. “We now have the secret sauce through the acquisition, which lets us know the travel intent of the ultimate user,” said Chopra.  Prior to Adara, when the company worked with a number of enterprise customers across online travel agencies, airlines, hotels and car rental companies, there was a significant overlap in customers.  “Now we offer customers a more end-to-end offering and be a one-stop shop for them, which makes it a lot more compelling in terms of the interoperability that we are able to achieve on the different products we are servicing them,” he added. RateGain aims to expand in various areas, including sales, product development, and engineering. “We are being relentless in ensuring that we are both upgrading and upskilling our talent because it’s the people that will drive the business forward,” said Chopra. The company recently appointed Peter Strebel as President for the Americas region. Strebel previously served as the chairman of Omni Hotels & Resorts and was chief marketing officer for the Wyndham Hotel Group, where he later became the president.  Wed, 23 Aug 2023 20:45:31 -0000 How RateGain Plans to Boost Growth full Skift RateGain’s got almost everyone in the industry in its pocket, with 25 of the top 30 OTAs and 23 of the top 30 hotel chains in the world as its customers. It's no surprise that revenues have been growing at a fast clip. India-headquartered travel tech firm RateGain thinks it is in a “very commanding position” to double its revenue over the next three years.  A software-as-a-service solutions provider for the hospitality and travel industry, RateGain feeds real-time consumer insights into its software, packages it and sells it as a subscription to airlines, hotels, and online travel agents.   Speaking with Skift’s Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia in the latest episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast, co-founder Bhanu Chopra listed out the company’s growth levers as: Penetrating Key Markets: RateGain is keen on further expansion into Europe and U.S. and looks to develop new products for these markets.  Investment in Research and Development: RateGain plans to address some of the gaps in its overall vision to build an integrated tech stack — which enables customers to acquire guests, engage with them, and retain them.  Pursuing Mergers and Acquisitions: The company continues to seek out travel tech firms that have established complimentary products or capabilities. Earlier this year, RateGain acquired Adara, a Silicon Valley-based firm in travel martechand predictive consumer intelligence, the company’s fourth acquisition and the first since it went public in 2021. Adara focuses on finding ways to measure the actual travel intent of a customer. The Silicon Valley-based firm helps consumer brands find new customers using targeting technology powered by data sourced from travel and hospitality companies. “We now have the secret sauce through the acquisition, which lets us know the travel intent of the ultimate user,” said Chopra.  Prior to Adara, when the company worked with a number of enterprise customers across online travel agencies, airlines, hotels and car rental companies, there was a significant overlap in customers.  “Now we offer customers a more end-to-end offering and be a one-stop shop for them, which makes it a lot more compelling in terms of the interoperability that we are able to achieve on the different products we are servicing them,” he added. RateGain aims to expand in various areas, including sales, product development, and engineering. “We are being relentless in ensuring that we are both upgrading and upskilling our talent because it’s the people that will drive the business forward,” said Chopra. The company recently appointed Peter Strebel as President for the Americas region. Strebel previously served as the chairman of Omni Hotels & Resorts and was chief marketing officer for the Wyndham Hotel Group, where he later became the president.  India-headquartered travel tech firm RateGain thinks it is in a “very commanding position” to double its revenue over the next three years. 

A software-as-a-service solutions provider for the hospitality and travel industry, RateGain feeds real-time consumer insights into its software, packages it and sells it as a subscription to airlines, hotels, and online travel agents.  

Speaking with Skift’s Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia in the latest episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast, co-founder Bhanu Chopra listed out the company’s growth levers as:

  1. Penetrating Key Markets: RateGain is keen on further expansion into Europe and U.S. and looks to develop new products for these markets. 
  2. Investment in Research and Development: RateGain plans to address some of the gaps in its overall vision to build an integrated tech stack — which enables customers to acquire guests, engage with them, and retain them. 
  3. Pursuing Mergers and Acquisitions: The company continues to seek out travel tech firms that have established complimentary products or capabilities.

Earlier this year, RateGain acquired Adara, a Silicon Valley-based firm in travel martechand predictive consumer intelligence, the company’s fourth acquisition and the first since it went public in 2021.

Adara focuses on finding ways to measure the actual travel intent of a customer. The Silicon Valley-based firm helps consumer brands find new customers using targeting technology powered by data sourced from travel and hospitality companies.

“We now have the secret sauce through the acquisition, which lets us know the travel intent of the ultimate user,” said Chopra. 

Prior to Adara, when the company worked with a number of enterprise customers across online travel agencies, airlines, hotels and car rental companies, there was a significant overlap in customers. 

“Now we offer customers a more end-to-end offering and be a one-stop shop for them, which makes it a lot more compelling in terms of the interoperability that we are able to achieve on the different products we are servicing them,” he added.

RateGain aims to expand in various areas, including sales, product development, and engineering.

“We are being relentless in ensuring that we are both upgrading and upskilling our talent because it’s the people that will drive the business forward,” said Chopra.

The company recently appointed Peter Strebel as President for the Americas region. Strebel previously served as the chairman of Omni Hotels & Resorts and was chief marketing officer for the Wyndham Hotel Group, where he later became the president. 

]]> 1341 no India's Tourism Prowess https://skift.com/tag/skift-podcast/ In this episode of the Skift India Podcast, catch Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia in conversation with Santosh Kumar, Country Head, ISC and Indonesia at Booking.com. Tune in as they dive deep into the world of Indian tourism – a true powerhouse in the global tourism landscape.  Tue, 15 Aug 2023 04:30:00 -0000 India's Tourism Prowess full Skift Tune in as leaders from Skift and Booking.com dive deep into the world of Indian tourism – a true powerhouse in the global tourism landscape. In this episode of the Skift India Podcast, catch Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia in conversation with Santosh Kumar, Country Head, ISC and Indonesia at Booking.com. Tune in as they dive deep into the world of Indian tourism – a true powerhouse in the global tourism landscape.  In this episode of the Skift India Podcast, catch Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia in conversation with Santosh Kumar, Country Head, ISC and Indonesia at Booking.com. Tune in as they dive deep into the world of Indian tourism – a true powerhouse in the global tourism landscape. 

]]> 1753 no How India Is Shaping the Global Travel Recovery https://skift.com/tag/india-travel-report/ As of June 2023, India is part of the “100 Club” with an index score of 113 indicating a complete recovery to pre-pandemic performance levels, according to Skift's State of Travel report. Skift Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia is joined by Research Analysts Saniya Zanpure and Ashab Rizvi, as they discuss the report and India’s performance in the global travel recovery scenario. Read more from The State of Travel 2023 Read the Skift India Report Tue, 08 Aug 2023 14:20:13 -0000 How India Is Shaping the Global Travel Recovery full Skift As of June 2023, India is part of the “100 Club” with an index score of 113 indicating a complete recovery to pre-pandemic performance levels, according to Skift's State of Travel report. As of June 2023, India is part of the “100 Club” with an index score of 113 indicating a complete recovery to pre-pandemic performance levels, according to Skift's State of Travel report. Skift Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia is joined by Research Analysts Saniya Zanpure and Ashab Rizvi, as they discuss the report and India’s performance in the global travel recovery scenario. Read more from The State of Travel 2023 Read the Skift India Report As of June 2023, India is part of the “100 Club” with an index score of 113 indicating a complete recovery to pre-pandemic performance levels, according to Skift's State of Travel report. Skift Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia is joined by Research Analysts Saniya Zanpure and Ashab Rizvi, as they discuss the report and India’s performance in the global travel recovery scenario.

]]> 1909 no Introducing: Skift India Travel Podcast https://skift.com/tag/skift-podcast/ Through insightful conversations, expert analysis, and compelling stories, the Skift India Travel Podcast aims to delve into the dynamic and ever-evolving business of travel in India. Skift Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia will be joined by business leaders and experts from throughout the industry and Skift's newsroom. Together, they'll explore the challenges, opportunities, and trends shaping the Indian travel industry. Listen to the Skift India Travel Podcast starting July 28th on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major podcast platforms. Fri, 21 Jul 2023 00:33:00 -0000 Introducing: Skift India Travel Podcast trailer Skift The Skift India Podcast dives into the dynamic travel and tourism industry in India. Through insightful conversations, expert analysis, and compelling stories, the Skift India Travel Podcast aims to delve into the dynamic and ever-evolving business of travel in India. Skift Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia will be joined by business leaders and experts from throughout the industry and Skift's newsroom. Together, they'll explore the challenges, opportunities, and trends shaping the Indian travel industry. Listen to the Skift India Travel Podcast starting July 28th on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major podcast platforms. Through insightful conversations, expert analysis, and compelling stories, the Skift India Travel Podcast aims to delve into the dynamic and ever-evolving business of travel in India.

Skift Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia will be joined by business leaders and experts from throughout the industry and Skift's newsroom. Together, they'll explore the challenges, opportunities, and trends shaping the Indian travel industry.

Listen to the Skift India Travel Podcast starting July 28th on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major podcast platforms.

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