Bulbul Dhawan

India Reporter for Skift, Bulbul Dhawan has seven years of experience across leading Indian news publications. With a widespread portfolio, she covered several beats before she found comfort in the travel and hospitality sectors when she joined BW Hotelier as the Editorial Lead. An avid singer and reader, she has about as many books in her TBR pile as she has songs on her list that she wishes to record covers of – none of which is going to be completed in this lifetime.

In the January to March quarter this year, Paytm witnessed a 19% annual increase in flight bookings.

Online Travel

Indian Fintech Player Paytm Partners With Skyscanner, Google Flights, Wego – India Report

Paytm's move to expand its travel offerings comes after it recorded a successful quarter for flight bookings. Initially started as a financial services company, Paytm has been enhancing its offerings to increase its revenue streams.

Bulbul Dhawan | 2 years ago

Over the last decade, the Indian domestic market grew at an annual rate of 6.9%.

Airlines

India Becomes Third-Largest Domestic Aviation Market – India Report

There is an overall push in India to enhance air connectivity to smaller regions across the country. An increase in number of airports, increase in disposable income, and heightened interest in travel have given airlines the confidence to invest in expansion of their domestic operations. This is leading to Indians traveling more, domestically and internationally.

Bulbul Dhawan | 2 years ago

Tourism

Spiritual Tourism in India Gives Boost to These 7 Emerging Cities

Hotel companies are betting big on the smaller towns in India. With spiritual tourism accounting for 60% of the domestic tourism, the segment is likely to drive the growth in the Indian hospitality industry for the next few years.

Bulbul Dhawan | 2 years ago

Indian travelers currently need to apply for a visa through the Taipei Economic and Cultural Center (TECC), Taiwan’s de facto embassy in India.

Tourism

Taiwan ‘Actively Considering’ Visa on Arrival for Indians

If Taiwan continues with its plan to allow visa-on-arrival for Indian travelers, it will join a growing list of countries that are easing visa requirements to attract the outbound market. Also in focus are money minting corporate events for Indian business travelers.

Bulbul Dhawan | 2 years ago

TBO Tek listing on National Stock Exchange.

Tourism

Indian Stock Exchange Launches Index to Track Travel Listings — India Report

A new stock market index to track the performance of the travel sector is an indicator of the segment's growth in India. Travel companies are having a dream run at the Indian bourses. It remains to be seen whether this demand will sustain over the long term.

Bulbul Dhawan | 2 years ago

The move is aimed at enhancing the travel opportunities between the two countries, particularly promoting the rich spiritual heritage of Cambodia.

Tourism

First-Ever Direct Flight Between Cambodia and India Takes Off – India Report

Cambodian tourists have largely visited India for religious travel to Buddhist sites and for affordable medical treatments. Meanwhile, Cambodia is hoping to attract more Indians – but much more than a direct flight is needed to attract the Indian travelers.

Bulbul Dhawan | 2 years ago

Airlines

IndiGo Widens Lead in Indian Market Share – India Report

The Indian aviation sector is adding more airports across the country, and airlines are investing in upgrading and expanding their fleets. A consistent growth in domestic air passenger traffic is crucial to their return on investments, especially as international airlines are eyeing this growing consumer base.

Bulbul Dhawan | 2 years ago

Skyscanner has seen substantial growth in the India market over the last few years, with the country moving up among its top five markets.

Online Travel

Skyscanner’s Outlook on India: Strong Economic Trends, Significant Supply

Skyscanner is growing its presence in India, adding more partners to increase the supply side. Its strategy - investing in supply side first, then focusing on growing the customer base.

Bulbul Dhawan | 2 years ago

The company had initially filed for an IPO in 2021 but decided to delay its entry.

Online Travel

Ixigo IPO Garners Significant Demand Across Investor Categories — India Report

Ixigo's IPO closed to a blockbuster subscription window. The online travel company's performance at the Indian bourses is indicative of the positive sentiments that prevail in India with regard to the travel industry.

Bulbul Dhawan | 2 years ago

IndiGo's hotel booking platform will allow customers to access over 700,000 properties across 250,000 destinations.

Airlines

IndiGo Introduces Hotel Booking Option — India Report

IndiGo's decision to add a hotel booking platform to its website and app seems to be aimed at targeting potential customers looking for a one-step solution for hotel and flight bookings. It is not the first Indian airline to make this move, but for a user base that pivots towards OTAs to find the most price-conscious option as well as deals, will this work?

Bulbul Dhawan | 2 years ago