Articles tagged “india”

Politics and tourism are strange bedfellows, but the big fat Indian general election next month is giving that notion a vote of no confidence. The festival of democracy can spark a new niche: election tourism.

This year is shaping up to be the year when Airbnb gets all of its ducks in a row before the big IPO. Investing in adjacent businesses like Oyo is a major part of that strategy. But will any of this ultimately matter — or make a difference — once the company goes public?

Ebix has made a generous takeover bid for Yatra, a corporate travel services provider and online travel agency, to create one of India’s largest end-to-end travel services businesses. Ebix's shrewd CEO Robin Raina is cornering the rare travel segments in India that aren't facing fierce price wars, namely, corporate travel services and currency exchange.

Thus far, disruptions in the hotel sector in India have occurred largely in the budget and economy segments. Former Oberoi-Trident President Kapil Chopra hopes to change that and take on the legacies with his Postcard Hotels & Resorts. Can he?

Since its merger with US Airways, American has taken a cautious approach with new routes. It has expanded to major Asian and South Pacific markets out of necessity but otherwise hasn't taken too many chances. It is nice to see the airline considering adding India and Africa.

On March 1, Taj Hotels will start taking bookings for its official foray into homesharing with its new brand, Amã, with nine bungalows. It's further proof of the Skift Megatrend that in hospitality, "everything is converging."

IndiGo’s appointment of veteran airline CEO Ronojoy Dutta to lead its aggressive expansion, particularly into new long-haul territory, is a fresh departure from the woes of non-happening Air India or Jet Airways.

MakeMyTrip continues to drive more online hotel bookings in India, despite protests by some hotel owner groups about its allegedly excessive commissions. The company must tread carefully as it tries to woo online customers with discounts while maintaining good relationships with its partners.

This tuck-in deal is minuscule, but it underscores Yatra's drive to maintain its position as India's largest online provider of travel booking tools for corporations. Yatra has the potential to build an "Egencia for India" over the course of five or 10 years.

Surprising factors have delayed the coronation of MakeMyTrip Group as India's queen of domestic online travel. Paytm came out of nowhere to grab share, Oyo upended budget hotel distribution, Ixigo tried to make price comparison chic, and Booking.com outmaneuvered Expedia for premium hotel bookings. From this scrappy mix, online travel will find new lessons.