FEBRUARY 20208ndia's travel industry has grown extensively in the last few years, motivated by higher disposable incomes, the emergence of homestays and other unique accommodation options, affordable airline fares, and increasing digital penetration across the non-metro cities. Presently, India is positioned as the world's sixth-largest travel and tourism economy, with the sector contributing USD 234 billion (Source: BCG Travel Report) to the economy. Apart from the rapid infiltration of smartphones, the industry is witnessing the rising influence of social media communities and bloggers leading to increased awareness about travel choices and preferences among the many travellers. There is a lot of focus from the government to advance domestic tourism within India. With the Prime Minister's recent appeal to all Indians to travel more domestically, this looks set to help boost the industry and also attract more inbound tourists from various nationalities. Furthermore, India moved up six places to the 34th position in the global Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report 2019 published by the World Economic Forum (WEF) last month. With the growing awareness in the sector by Indian travellers who are hurriedly becoming digital-savvy, brands need to deliver a frictionless and seamless experience that meets customer expectations. While the start-up revolution TECHNOLOGY WILL BE A KEY ENABLER FOR ENHANCING TOURISMBy Ritu Mehrotra, Country Manager India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Booking.comIN MY OPINIONA leader & entrepreneur Ritu has extensively worked in NA, Asia & Europe across multiple industries including Food technology, IT & e-CommerceIRitu Mehrotra, Country Manager India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives
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