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<ul><li>A survey by travel agency Agoda found wellness to be one of the top three motivations for Indians to travel in 2023. </li><li><keyword id="2808667" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="oyo" source="Orion">OYO</keyword> and EaseMyTrip shared that Gen Zs and millennials are pursuing spiritual pursuits, including trips to religious destinations. </li><li><keyword id="6357203" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="varanasi" source="Orion">Varanasi</keyword>, <keyword id="48458" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tirupati" source="Orion">Tirupati</keyword> and <keyword id="4903" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Puri" source="Orion">Puri</keyword> were some of the favoured destinations as per data shared by four different travel organisations.</li></ul>The pandemic turned the world digital but also led to multifold physical and mental health issues. Consequently, digital detox and regeneration have become <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/travel-trends-in-2023-digital-detox-regenerative-travel-and-inner-peace/articleshow/96281360.cms">increasingly</a> popular. In India, this has translated into an increased interest in spiritual and wellness tourism, including trips to religious destinations, according to travel agencies. And this interest has expanded to include GenZs and millennials. Travel agency Agoda conducted a survey and found wellness to be one of the top three motivations for Indians to travel in 2023. The survey was conducted with 10,000 travellers from across 12 countries, including India. As per Agoda, “Many (people) wish to embark on trips to recharge themselves, mentally and physically, with wellness contributing to the number two spot in the ‘reasons to travel’ ranking of Agoda’s Travel Trend survey. Countries with high inclination include India (20%), South Korea (24%), Singapore (25%) and Thailand (29%).” <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Spiritual tourism no longer restricted to senior citizens" comment="subhead2" text="Spiritual tourism no longer restricted to senior citizens">Spiritual tourism no longer restricted to senior citizens</cmsannotation> For the longest time, religious destinations were considered to be low on the travel bucket list — especially for GenZs and millennials, but that appears to have changed. “With the need for spiritual connect taking priority, millennials and GenZs are setting new trends for the industry. With every passing day, spiritual and self-care travel are catching pace, and the demand is growing,” said OYO in its Cultural Travel 2022 Roundup Report. As per the travel agency EaseMyTrip, there has been a 60% increase from 2019 in people in general are opting for holy destinations or spiritual or wellness tour packages. And, women aged between 30-35 are leading the search. “We’ve observed a sharp surge of 60% in the number of tourists opting for spiritual and wellness retreat packages as compared with pre-Covid. These are closely linked with religious pilgrimages and the various festivals prevalent across the subcontinent,” said Rikant Pittie, co-founder, EaseMyTrip. “More than ever, travellers are looking within, and often they are seen clubbing this journey within - with a trip to wellness or a spiritual retreat. Tending towards slow and spiritual travel formats, travellers opt for wellness or therapeutic retreats that allow them to disconnect and rejuvenate from their busy schedules,” said a spokesperson for MakeMyTrip. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Top favourite destinations" comment="subhead2" text="Top favourite destinations">Top favourite destinations</cmsannotation> In light of the rising interest in spiritual destinations, certain places are definitely enjoying more interest than others. Varanasi, Tirupati and Puri were among the top destinations as per data shared by four travel organisations — Ixigo, EaseMyTrip, OYO and Kayak. “Cultural destinations like Varanasi saw more than 50% rise in bookings for travel last year on our train apps. Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh witnessed one of the highest comebacks and was the most-searched spiritual hub in 2022 recording a 200% increase in train search queries,” shared Rajnish Kumar, co-founder, Ixigo. The increased interest in these destinations is also boosted by pent-up demand for travel and the availability of better facilities like hotels and good connectivity to reach the destination, said OYO in a report that was released in December 2022. Rishikesh, famous among Indians and foreigners alike, is known for its ashrams and adventure sports like river rafting. At the same, it’s home to India’s premium hotels, like Ananda wellness resort and Taj Rishikesh. Similarly, popular religious destinations like Tirupati and Puri offer luxury accommodations — Marasa Sarovar in Tirupati or the Mayfair Heritage in Puri. Ixigo and OYO also listed Mathura, Mahabaleshwar and Madurai as emerging spiritual tourism destinations in India. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/india-is-going-to-be-a-huge-paid-market-spotify-india/articleshow/98442816.cms">India is going to be a huge paid market: Akshat Harbola, head of strategy, Spotify India</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/wedding-bells-ring-in-16-rise-in-february-auto-sales-2-wheeler-sales-yet-to-hit-pre-pandemic-levels-fada/articleshow/98443213.cms">Wedding bells ring in 16% rise in February auto sales, 2 wheeler sales yet to hit pre-pandemic levels: FADA</a>

Gen Zs & Millennials aid spiritual & wellness-driven tourism recovery in India

<ul><li>Ixigo is looking for professionals for the technology and customer experience roles. </li><li>Some of the open positions include UI Technology Lead, QA Lead, iOS, and Backend Developers. </li><li>These are all full-time roles based in Gurugram, requiring approximately 3 to 6 years of industry experience. </li><li>The 13-year-old company has also reinstated salaries and granted ESOPs (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) to all its employees. </li></ul>Indian traveltech platform Ixigo says it has resumed hirings as it plans to bounce back strongly in the post-COVID world. The company has transitioned to a virtual onboarding model and is looking for professionals for the technology and customer experience roles. That includes job roles like UI Technology Lead, QA Lead, iOS, and Backend Developers. <div type="twitter" handle="alokebajpai" handlename="Aloke Bajpai" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1177175803953438721/-U1mVDq5_normal.jpg" favoritecount="191" retweetcount="121" status="We're hiring again! Android / backend / UI folks interested in building for travel in the post-Covid world, DM me." createdat="1594109210000" id="1280412947840299008"></div> “Our hiring plan is gradually making headway and we’re continuously adding roles in line with our evolving business plans,” Rajnish Kumar, its Co-founder &amp; CTO told Business Insider. These are all full-time roles based in Gurugram, with a requirement of 3 to 6 years of industry experience. Ixigo also plans to onboard recent graduates in engineering and management — who are currently working as interns in the company. Ixigo has 150 employees as of now. The 13-year-old company has also reinstated salaries and granted ESOPs (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) to all its employees. It says that this is aimed at ‘compensating for the pay cuts’ that were done in the last three months to keep up with the operational costs. “The current ESOP grant announced will result in an additional 2.3% of the company’s overall shareholding being given to all 150 ixigems (ixigo employees). This is one of the largest and most deeply discounted ESOP grants in the company’s history, and with the lowest stock vesting period of just one year,” Ixigo said in a statement. Travel and hospitality industry was one of the worst hit sectors due to coronavirus. Given the uncertainty, the Ixigo suspended hirings from March to June, 2020. However, a recent survey report suggests that close to 70% of Indians are willing to travel amidst the pandemic. This has instilled hopes of revival among the industry players. “We are the only travel player in India to retain 100% of our staff amidst the pandemic. In the beginning of March we started working on a plan that could potentially let us survive even if revenues were to remain zero for 3 to 6 months,” Kumar added. The company says that the leadership team took a 60% pay cut while it slashed salaries by up to 50% for other employees. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/lockdown-restrictions-for-it-ites-units-in-chennai-relaxed/articleshow/76885047.cms">Lockdown restrictions for IT, ITES units in Chennai relaxed</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/international/news/nepal-bans-all-indian-news-channels-except-doordarshan/articleshow/76885110.cms">Nepal bans all Indian news channels except DD News</a>

Ixigo is hiring for UI designers, iOS and backend developers — existing employees get ESOPs to make up for the pay cuts

<ul><li><keyword id="6368965" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="zoomcar">Zoomcar</keyword> is partnering with <keyword id="6433699" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ixigo">Ixigo</keyword>, an online travel booking service, to reach its 130 million users. </li><li>Co-found of Ixigo Rajnish Kumar predicts that car rentals with be "one of the biggest travel trends this year." </li><li>The partnership will help Zoomcar meet its goal to double the demand of its services by the end of the current fiscal year. </li></ul>Zoomcar, a self drive car rental service, just announced that it's partnering with Ixigo reach more users while betting on car rentals to be a travel trend this year. The partnership will give Zoomcar access to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/50-of-indias-travel-to-beonline-by-2020-ixigo/articleshow/49060256.cms">Ixigo</a>'s 130 million users as well as the latter's 200 million monthly travel searches as users plan their vacation. "Indian travellers are increasingly opting for a holistic and exclusive vacation experience making on-demand car rentals one of the biggest travel trends of the year," stated Co-founder of Ixigo Rajnish Kumar. Zoomcar has 10,000 cars with plans to expand its fleet to 25,000 cars by the end of year. It also plans to double the demand for its services by the end of the current fiscal. Currently, <a href="https://www.zoomcar.com/bangalore/">Zoomcar</a> has 4.8 million users and clocks over 3,000 rides daily. As an incentive, Zoomcar is also offering a launch discount of 20% on bookings through Ixigo. Users can book a Zoomcar for an hour, a day, a week or even a whole month. Car rentals in India While the market for car rentals in India is growing, it's not quite mainstream yet. "Such collaborations, we believe, will pave the way for the mainstreaming of alternative mobility services, ensuring that users get a seamless experience," said Greg Moran, CEO and Co-Founder of Zoomcar. Last year, Zoomcar raised $40 million through Series-C round headed by Mahindra and Mahindra Limited. Sequoia Capital, Empire Angles and Nokia Growth Partners are also a part of the investor portfolio. "We are looking at closing the Series D round by the second half of this year," Moran told<a href="https://www.cnbctv18.com/auto/zoomcar-allows-users-to-try-electric-vehicles-at-short-term-rentals-says-ceo-greg-moran-4052071.htm"> CNBC TV18,</a> Zoomcar started off by owning the cars that it was renting out but switched over an asset light model when it realised that the maintenance and and owning costs were having a heavy impact on its margins. So, the company introduced peer-to-peer (P2P) marketplace called 'ZAP' where users can put up their own cars to be rented by other users on the platform. Even so, Zoomcar registered ₹116 crore in loss during last fiscal year's earnings, according to its financial data filed with the Registrar of Companies. But its revenue also showed a yearly growth of 31% from ₹120 crore in FY17 to ₹158 crore in FY18. Zoomcar is also pushing electric vehicles (EVs) on its platform in partnership with Tata Tigor expressing its support for the Indian government's <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india-now-plans-to-make-evs-comprise-15-of-all-vehicles-sales-by-2023/articleshow/65717759.cms">initiative</a> to convert all vehicles to EVs by 2030. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/ola-will-race-zoomcar-in-self-drive-car-rentals-with-a-500-million-bet/articleshow/68614269.cms">Ola will race Zoomcar in self-drive car rentals with a $500 million bet</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/self-drive-car-in-india-will-supersede-high-volume-sales-of-cars-heres-how/articleshow/60100149.cms">Self-drive car in India will supersede high volume sales of cars. Here's how.</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/flipkart-amazon-zomato-partner-with-delhi-government-to-deliver-via-electric-vehicles/articleshow/69968501.cms">Flipkart, Amazon, Zomato and others partner with Delhi government to deliver via electric vehicles</a>

Zoomcar eyes a shortcut to 130 million users — partners with Ixigo

With over 20 million cumulative installs and 5 million monthly active users, <keyword id="6433699" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ixigo">Ixigo</keyword> trains app has become India’s most used train travel app. It is currently helping close to 8 lakh train travellers every single day across 200+ Indian towns in checking train schedules, getting live train running status, getting PNR status predictions and in viewing crowdsourced platform numbers, coach positions and train ratings and reviews for all trains in India. Ixigo’s train app is rated 4.4 out of 5 based on 2.2 lakh user reviews on the <keyword id="6355629" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Google">Google</keyword> <keyword id="1470391" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Play-Store">Play Store</keyword>, and is growing 15% month-on-month. According to some of the train travellers using the app, it is helping them provide accurate train information in a user-friendly interface. The app consists of some unique features such as live running status, coach position and platform numbers, etc. ixigo trains also offers smart technology and data driven features such as highly-accurate PNR status prediction for wait-listed seats, station alarms and seat-maps to know your coach and seat location. Recently, the app has introduced a news, gaming and entertainment zone in the app to engage train travellers during the journey. Speaking on the big milestone, ixigo CEO and Co-Founder, Aloke Bajpai said, “As a company, we are the only online travel player deeply committed to understanding Indian train travellers and solving their pain points. The budget travel segment is the fastest growing segment of the online travel market, and ixigo is the clear market leader in this space when it comes to its user-base and engagement.” “With close to 10 years of technology and data expertise, we are now connecting 3rd party services and content to offer budget travellers a seamless door-to-door experience to keep them engaged and well-informed throughout their trip. At the current pace of growth, we are adding 2 million new users every month and will become India’s most used travel app in a few months. Our user retention rates are already as high as some popular social apps.” added <keyword id="254056" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rajnish-Kumar">Rajnish Kumar</keyword>, CTO and Co-Founder, ixigo. Over 25 million passengers travel on Indian Railways every single day, and the market size of train-related ancillary services is potentially $1 billion per year as per company estimates. Additionally, the ixigo trains app allows its users to book other modes of travel such as cabs, flights and buses through its app. Users can book Ola and Uber cabs in one-tap from inside the ixigo trains app, make a bus booking with RedBus, book hotels with Oyo &amp; Treebo as well as book flights from multiple online travel portals and airlines in case they are waitlisted. The ixigo trains app is available in 7 local Indian languages, and was recently named the “Best App of 2016” by Google Play Store under the “Made In India” category.

With 20 mn installs, this Indian app has become every traveller's absolute favourite. Here's what it can do for you

India’s <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=online+travel">online travel </a>segment is heating up. It’s simplifying the lives of Indian travelers through innovative travel planning, research and social products by offering them better options. These travel portals are now a one-stop-shop for all travel queries and bookings. 
 
We spoke to Aloke Bajpai, CEO and Co-Founder of Ixigo to get an unbiased view at the online travel market in India. 
 
1. How much of the Indian travel industry is currently online? 
Around 10-12%. However, the penetration is higher in segments like flights (50%) and trains (38%). Hotels (7-8%) and Travel Packages (5%) follow. There is still a big upside of what can be transacted online. 
 
2. How much of the Indian travel industry could be online by 2020? 
Most studies concur that by 2020 close to 40% of all travel related transactions could be online. It could go as high as 50%. 
 
3. What is driving growth in online travel today? 
The current growth is driven by Tier II and Tier III cities. The activity is doubling every 6 months. Emerging markets like Surat, Bhopal and Patna are growing like never before. 
 
While Tier I cities have reached a fairly good adoption rate, the current growth from these cities are primarily from cheaper <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=smartphones">smartphones</a>. 
 
4. What % of your traffic is from Tier II and Tier III cities? 
Around two-thirds of Ixigo’s traffic is from Tier II and Tier III cities. 68% to be exact. 
 
5. Is there anything more to the surge in rural traffic? 
It’s the options online offers people. It’s the primary mode of long distance travel. In terms of budget <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=accommodation">accommodation</a>, even in the Tier I cities, the demand is coming from Tier II and Tier III cities. These are people looking from Sub Rs. 1k <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=accommodation">accommodation</a>. Today companies are considering adding more content suited for that consumer base. 
 
However, when one considers segments like Flights, the traffic from Tier III cities are almost nil as the airports are in Tier I and II cities. 
 
6. Is the idea of business travel dominating the travel segment a myth? 
That’s a wrong reading of India’s leisure-heavy market. Small and mid-sized businessmen travel by Sleeper and 3AC in IRCTC trains. The mentality in India has been to save on the luxuries in life for the greater good of the family. In Tier II and Tier II cities that mentality is very strong. A lot of this demand is hard to distinguish as business travel. It’s not a business class flight ticket so you know the company’s paying for it. 80% of India’s businesses are self-owned family businesses and that shows up in leisure demand. These people are more frugal than leisure travelers. When one travels with their family they spend a little more on a good hotel. When alone they stay at the cheapest possible hotel. 
 
7. Which segment drives the bulk of revenue for Ixigo? 
Ours is not a plain travel site. It’s as much an information and planning website. For us engagement is as important a metric as consummating a transaction. The actual consummation happens in a third party website, so that’s just a part of the system. For us monetization is more centered on ad traffic. On the transactional side it’s quite evenly distributed. 
 
8. Do newer segments have a chance of flourishing in India’s primarily conservative travel market? 
Historically in India peer-to-peer segments like <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=accommodation">accommodation</a> and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=transportation">transportation</a> the problem has been the trust issue. That’s exactly why organized car pooling has taken a while to pick up. 
 
There are ways to solve this using the social graph and companies are working on them. As long as they can build a reliability and trust factor with rankings and reviews, the Indian traveler would feel safer and there would be scope for adoption. It’ll emerge as a more viable option from the price perspective, and Indians are price conscious.

50% of India’s travel to be
online by 2020: Ixigo

If you have seen <keyword id="2201" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Kangana-Ranaut">Kangana Ranaut</keyword>’s latest <keyword id="143" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Bollywood">Bollywood</keyword> flick, <keyword id="6377522" type="POSITION" weightage="60" keywordseo="queen">Queen</keyword>, you are bound to agree that her trip abroad all by herself is the most intriguing part of the storyline and her <keyword id="6374782" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="journey">journey</keyword> of discovery keeps you hooked. But that’s hardly a rare phenomenon nowadays. Single or married, young or aged, on a <keyword id="1050408" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="business-trip">business trip</keyword> or on a <keyword id="2144547" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Dream-vacation">dream vacation</keyword>, more <keyword id="624" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Women">women</keyword> are travelling alone instead of taking their families in tow. Even those opting for <keyword id="2144575" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Guided-vacations">guided vacations</keyword> are mostly choosing like-minded women-only groups. 
 A recent survey jointly conducted by ixigo.com, India’s leading travel planning and search engine firm, and <keyword id="136437" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Lemon-Tree-Hotels">Lemon Tree Hotels</keyword>, the country’s third largest hotel company by owned rooms, says that there has been a marked change in travel trends across the country. <keyword id="2144559" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Female-travellers">Female travellers</keyword> are now an increasingly important segment of the Indian travel market, for both leisure and business travel, and the country’s travel industry is just waking up to that fact. 
 
“With women climbing the corporate ladder and becoming more independent, travel is becoming an intrinsic part of their lives. Also, only-women travel groups offering interesting holiday destinations and packages are luring women to take up travel. Our survey indicates 26% women travel with their girl gangs to explore new places,” said Saurabh Srivastava, VP (marketing &amp; product strategy) at ixigo.com. 
 More than 550 women aged between 25 and 45 and hailing from different metros across the country, took part in <keyword id="2144531" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="The-ixigo-Lemon-Tree-Hotels">the ixigo-Lemon Tree Hotels</keyword> online survey. 
 
At present, women-only travellers don’t form too large a segment of India’s travel market but the concept of vacationing away from one’s family (to say nothing of business travel) is catching up fast. As per Trafalgar India, one of the leading guided holiday operators, there has been 22% rise in bookings by women’s groups and single travellers in India between October 2013 and February 2014, compared to last year. 
 While women now account for more than 23% of business travellers (both domestic and outbound), the number will grow significantly in the near future, with the rise in the number of women in mid-senior executive ranks where business travel is a necessity. Over the next 20 years, <keyword id="2144563" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="International-business-travel">international business travel</keyword> by Indian women could grow almost tenfold to more than 10 million annual business departures, according to industry estimates. 
 <keyword id="2144565" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Group-travel-by-women">Group travel by women</keyword> is also gaining in popularity, thanks to a growing number of social clubs offering secure and affordable women-only tours. The bottom line is quite simple here. In a fast-moving life ruled by many priorities, one is not always able to travel with <keyword id="343" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="80" keywordseo="Friends">friends</keyword>, family or relatives. But that should not hinder a woman from travelling at her convenience, to the destination of her choice. 
 
A separate survey by Trafalgar India indicates that 10% women prefer guided vacations for a guided experience, 30% for safety, 11% to meet new people, 26% for convenience and comfort while 23% women find it cost-effective. 
 
 
 
What women want The <keyword id="2144532" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="ixigo-Lemon-Tree-Hotels-survey">ixigo-Lemon Tree Hotels survey</keyword> has delved deep into women’s way of travelling and the comfort factors they look for. Here are the key findings when it comes to women wanting to travel safe and solo. 
 
Female travellers are tech-savvy: Indian women travel as frequently as once in two months (50%), with 43% booking their <keyword id="6368036" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Hotels">hotels</keyword> online and 65-76% saying they only read user reviews and endorsements to make their final choice, the survey says. <keyword id="383661" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Mobile-Apps">Mobile apps</keyword> are clearly the way to go as 56% women use <keyword id="616640" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Smartphone-apps">smartphone apps</keyword> to find information about their destinations and plan their trips. 
 
Safety &amp; comfort top priority list: For 41% women, facilities and services are the top considerations while choosing a hotel while location, cost and security have come out as other important criteria. Although security as an independent variable does not top the priority list of solo women travellers/women-only travel groups, there are clearly other surrogate considerations that indicate that safety remains a big concern. For instance, 34% women prefer to have <keyword id="2144581" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Female-hostesses-for-room-service">female hostesses for room service</keyword> while others look for a wide range of <keyword id="2144582" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Women-friendly-amenities">women-friendly amenities</keyword> including <keyword id="2144583" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Call-screening-facility">call-screening facility</keyword> (20%), <keyword id="2144584" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Women-driven-cabs">women-driven cabs</keyword> (19%) and separate floors/wings for women (18%). Interestingly, more than 63% of the respondents say they need a companion to be able to feel comfortable enough to drink at a hotel bar. 
 
Feel-good add-ons matter: Well, that’s a given and who doesn’t love the nice, little extras? When asked about exclusive redemption options offered on loyalty programmes, <keyword id="2144587" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Shopping-vouchers">shopping vouchers</keyword> have come up as the most favourite (27%), closely followed by <keyword id="2144589" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Room-nights">room nights</keyword> (24%) and <keyword id="891808" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Spa-therapy">spa therapy</keyword> (22%) – clearly indicating that special benefits and exclusive offers go hand in hand with women. On the amenities front, 24x7 room service is the most important one (voted by 24% women) while <keyword id="6403839" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Free-Wi-Fi">free Wi-Fi</keyword> (18%), <keyword id="6354337" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="gym">gym</keyword>, <keyword id="50883" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Swimming-Pool">swimming pool</keyword>, <keyword id="5680" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="spa">spa</keyword> and <keyword id="34615" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="restaurants">restaurants</keyword> are some others factors that would make the stay memorable. 
 
End-note: Older women are travelling more 
This finding is not a part of the above survey but going by the fact that it has considered women aged between 25 and 45, instead of the 18-30 or 25-40 age bracket is a clear indicator that older women are calling the shots in travel space, making decision for themselves as well as for friends and families, and spending their own money for solo trips – be it a prestigious presentation, a professional seminar, visiting a beautiful place or simply chilling out to get the better of stress. According to Marybeth Bond of The Gutsy Traveller – The average adventure traveller is not a 28-year-old male, but a 47-year-old female. And she wears a size 12 dress. 
 Moreover, the findings from the above surveys amply tell us what <keyword id="625381" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="women-travellers">women travellers</keyword> expect and how fast the women-only travel market is growing in India. These surely promise more travel spend (both for business and leisure travel), better business across the country and an <keyword id="2144592" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Improved-travel-experience">improved travel experience</keyword> for women who love to do it solo and keep off the beaten path. 
 
Image credit: Thinkstock Photos/Getty Images

Footloose: Women Travelling Solo Are Set To Change The Face Of India’s Travel Industry

<ul><li>The company’s stock was trading at around ₹714 in early trading hours on Friday.</li><li>The development comes a day after <keyword id="5030468" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="easemytrip" source="Orion">EaseMyTrip</keyword> expanded its international footprint to the US, Philippines and Thailand.</li><li>The company had doubled its net profit to ₹61.4 crore in the financial year 2021.</li></ul>Publicly-listed travel ticketing app EaseMyTrip has hit $1 billion in market capitalisation earlier on Friday, September 17. The company’s stock was trading at ₹714.15 at 9:38 a.m., on Friday. That’s when the company’s market cap crossed the ₹7,300 crore threshold. Shares of the travel tech startup, which goes by the name Easy Trip Planners, were trading at ₹663.55 at 11:10 a.m., on Friday as its market cap dropped to ₹7,215 crore ($981 million). The development comes a day after EaseMyTrip expanded its international footprint in the United States, The Philippines and Thailand. The company has forayed into new countries anticipating a huge pent-up global travel demand in the coming months, the company said in its regulatory filings. Aloke Bajpai, founder and chief executive of another travel tech startup ixigo, congratulated EaseMyTrip on achieving this benchmark. Like EaseMyTrip, rival ixigo is also planning to hit the public markets this year and has filed the preliminary papers for its<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/travel-app-ixigo-files-for-a-1600-crore-ipo/articleshow/85292327.cms"> ₹1,600 crore</a> initial public offering (IPO). <div type="twitter" handle="alokebajpai" handlename="Aloke Bajpai" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1285439472339791873/wki9K2bg_normal.jpg" favoritecount="78" retweetcount="16" status="Congratulations to @EaseMyTrip @nishantpitti @rikantpitti @ppitti for hitting $1 Bn market cap in the public market… https://t.co/Ow4gE1YSKW" createdat="1631853920000" id="1438725735686959106"></div> Earlier this month, Anand Rathi had issued a buy call on Easy Trip Planners with a target price of ₹550. At the time, the company’s stock was trading at ₹462.35. <div type="image" title="EaseMyTrip touches market cap of a billion dollars" msid="86285944" hostid="261"></div> Founded in 2008 by Nishant Pitti, Prashant Pitti and Rikant Pitti, EaseMyTrip offers deals on flight booking, hotels and holiday packages. The company has been one of the few bootstrapped startups to hit the public market and has been profitable as well. The company even doubled its net profit to ₹61.4 crore in the financial year 2021, when the entire travel segment was brought down to its knees due to COVID-19. Its revenue, however, declined to ₹150 crore from ₹181 crore reported in FY20. SEE ALSO <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/the-only-way-to-beat-the-bots-from-taking-your-job-is-to-be-more-human/articleshow/86282273.cms">Future of Work 2021: The only way to beat the bots from taking your job is to be more human</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/biocon-hero-motocorp-tvs-motor-banks-and-other-top-stocks-to-watch-out-for-on-september-17/articleshow/86281250.cms">Biocon, Hero MotoCorp, TVS Motor, banks and other top stocks to watch out for on September 17</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/biocon-biologics-to-offer-15-stake-to-serum-institute-life-sciences-at-valuation-of-4-9-billion/articleshow/86281318.cms">Biocon Biologics to offer 15% stake to Serum Institute Life Sciences at valuation of $4.9 billion</a>

EaseMyTrip touches market cap of a billion dollars

<ul><li>The net profit of <keyword id="65866" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="irctc" source="Orion">IRCTC</keyword> grew nearly five-fold in the July-September quarter, while <keyword id="5030468" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="easemytrip" source="Orion">EaseMyTrip</keyword> recorded a 300% uptick.</li><li><keyword id="54613" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="makemytrip" source="Orion">MakeMyTrip</keyword> cut its loss to a third and its revenue touched $67 million in the last quarter.</li><li>The segment is expected to see a greater push as revenge travel grows and cases of COVID-19 continue to lay low.</li></ul>Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) as well as online ticketing platforms EaseMyTrip and MakeMyTrip have increased their net profit in the July to September quarter of 2021, which hints towards a strong recovery for the travel and hospitality sector that has been majorly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic since March 2020. The net profit of IRCTC grew nearly five-fold compared to last year. Its revenue, on the other hand, grew four-fold in the same time frame. The company has further doubled its financial metrics compared to the April-June quarter of 2021 that was clouded by the second wave of COVID-19. <div type="image" title="The strong financial performance of MakeMyTrip, EaseMyTrip and IRCTC hints towards a larger travel recovery in India" msid="87506492" hostid="261"></div> EaseMyTrip — which is operated by Easy Trip Planners Limited — reported over 330% year-on-year increase in its consolidated net profit. The company’s revenue has grown another 164% year-on-year to ₹59.7 crore in the July-September quarter. <div type="image" title="The strong financial performance of MakeMyTrip, EaseMyTrip and IRCTC hints towards a larger travel recovery in India" msid="87506502" hostid="261"></div> “We have witnessed strong recovery in demand across our segments and are optimistic of the demand scenario going forward on the back of strong tailwinds in terms of revenge travel and recovery in the travel and tourism industry,” EaseMyTrip noted in its financial statement released on November 3. The company believes that India’s travel segment will witness a ‘U-shaped recovery’, with domestic travel taking a leap over international travel. The company’s share prices catapulted 5% post its financial performance. The shares of EaseMyTrip were trading at ₹531 at 11:35 a.m., on November 3. MakeMyTrip — which is the largest player in the online ticketing space — too reported a much stronger growth in the July to September quarter. The company’s revenue grew 219% year-on-year to $67 million (about ₹500 crore). Its loss was cut nearly by a third to $8 million (about ₹60 crore). <div type="image" title="The strong financial performance of MakeMyTrip, EaseMyTrip and IRCTC hints towards a larger travel recovery in India" msid="87506518" hostid="261"></div> MakeMyTrip and EaseMyTrip both witnessed a strong demand in air travel, which was a major contributor to its revenue. The company offers booking of air tickets, bus tickets, train tickets, hotels and holiday packages, among other services. IRCTC, on the other hand, provides ticketing, catering and tourism services for Indian Railways. “MakeMyTrip continued to lead and be instrumental in the recovery of travel in India as the country’s new daily reported COVID-19 infections have declined significantly since May 2021, aided by over one billion vaccine doses that have been administered so far. The results of the reported fiscal quarter clearly showcases the durable strength of its multiple brands, driven by its relentless focus on serving its customers with the best possible experience for their travel booking needs,” Deep Kalra, group executive chairperson of MakeMyTrip, said. Other players in the segment are Goibibo (owned by MakeMyTrip), Cleartrip (acquired by Flipkart), publicly traded Yatra, initial public offering (IPO)-bound ixigo and more. SEE ALSO <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/whatsapp-may-soon-allow-you-to-delete-messages-going-back-several-years/articleshow/87500597.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">WhatsApp may soon allow you to delete messages going back several years</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/data-analytics-firm-latent-view-analytics-ipo-to-open-on-november-9/articleshow/87501115.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Data analytics firm Latent View Analytics’ IPO to open on November 10</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/policybazaar-ipo-today-is-the-last-day-to-subscribe/articleshow/87489212.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">PolicyBazaar IPO — Today is the last day to subscribe, grey market premium at ₹150</a>

The strong financial performance of MakeMyTrip, EaseMyTrip and IRCTC hints towards a larger travel recovery in India

India's <keyword id="2914658" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="leading-smartphone-handset-player">leading smartphone handset player</keyword>, <keyword id="181985" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Micromax-Informatics-Limited">Micromax Informatics Limited</keyword>, on Monday announced its investment in <keyword id="6433699" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Ixigo">ixigo</keyword>, a mobile travel search and marketplace. 

	ixigo helps Indian travellers plan their trips, find the best train and bus services, book cheapest flights, cabs, hotels and more. Following the investment, Micromax will strengthen its foray into application services. It will also give ixigo a reach of over 30 million incremental users over the next year.
 <keyword id="13079" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Rahul-Sharma">Rahul Sharma</keyword>, Co-founder, Micromax Informatics said, "We are really impressed with ixigo's talented team and its mobile technology. We look forward to working closely with them to build on-demand and one-click travel experiences for Micromax consumers. We will be announcing more such partnerships over the next few months to accelerate our journey into services." Micromax had last month announced that it would be making <keyword id="6362476" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="investments">investments</keyword> of 20 million dollars in over 20 startups in the coming year. For this objective, Micromax has also set up an M&amp;A team which has been actively sourcing and working with startups across major technology markets such as <keyword id="6357722" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="silicon-valley">Silicon Valley</keyword>, Europe, Israel and India to bring in the best products and capabilities. 

	Meanwhile, Aloke Bajpai, CEO &amp; co-founder, ixigo said, "Eighty per cent of our travel &amp; transportation queries and 50% of our transactions currently originate on mobile devices. This partnership with Micromax will strengthen our market leadership in mobile travel services for middle class users. We expect to quadruple our mobile user-base in the next 12 months."
 

	ixigo aims to provide relevant travel services to the next 300 million smartphone users, and has recently entered the budget hotels, packages &amp; cabs segments. It plans to use this investment for expanding its product &amp; technology team and to add 25,000 small and mid-sized travel service providers to its marketplace offering, making ixigo the most comprehensive platform for comparing and buying travel services on mobile.

	 
	(Image: Indiatimes)

After Healthifyme.com, Micromax invests in ixigo

<ul><li>The company today said in a statement that it will acquire 100% shareholding of <keyword id="132652" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Cleartrip">Cleartrip</keyword> and its operations.</li><li>Cleartrip was founded in 2006 by Hrush Bhatt, Matthew Spacie and Stuart Crighton.</li><li>After the acquisition, Cleartrip will continue to function as a separate entity and will retain all its employees.</li></ul>It’s official. Walmart-owned e-commerce giant <keyword id="6354742" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Flipkart">Flipkart</keyword> is set to acquire Cleartrip, the online travel aggregator. The company today said in a statement that it will acquire 100% shareholding of Cleartrip and its operations. “The Flipkart Group is committed to transforming customer experiences through digital commerce. Cleartrip is synonymous with travel for many customers, and as we diversify and look at new areas of growth, this investment will help strengthen our wide range of offerings for customers,” Kalyan Krishnamurthy, chief executive office of Flipkart Group said in a statement. Flipkart had indicated its interest in travel when it had first partnered with MakeMyTrip in 2018 and then switched to Ixigo. Cleartrip was founded in 2006 by Hrush Bhatt, Matthew Spacie and Stuart Crighton. After the acquisition, Cleartrip will continue to function as a separate entity and will retain all its employees. However, during the pandemic, Cleartrip had already laid off as many as <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/funding/flipkart-likely-to-bag-cleartrip-for-40-million-in-distress-sale/articleshow/82050918.cms">500</a> employees. “Cleartrip has been a pioneer in capitalising on technology to simplify the travel experience for our customers. This product-driven focus has enabled us to become the preferred travel partner of choice for consumers in a wide range of markets in the region. We are delighted to be part of the Flipkart family and are excited about the positive impact this collaboration can have for our customers and the travel industry in general,” Stuart Crighton, co-founder of Cleartrip, said in a statement. While the companies didn’t disclose any financial information regarding the deal, an <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/funding/flipkart-likely-to-bag-cleartrip-for-40-million-in-distress-sale/articleshow/82050918.cms">ET report </a>from earlier had said that Flipkart could dole out as much as $40 million to acquire Cleartrip.

Flipkart acquires Cleartrip in an effort to cement its position in the travel booking segment

If you want to know your current <keyword id="1118594" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="PNR-status">PNR status</keyword>, download this <keyword id="235499" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="APP">app</keyword>. <keyword id="6433699" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Ixigo">ixigo</keyword> has launched a PNR prediction app to help train passengers know the status and other travel related details. 

	PNR prediction feature will let you know the probability of getting your ticket confirmed. The company claims ixigo’s app gives more accurate PNR prediction compared to all existing services as it has mined data from over 10 million PNRs over the last two years. 
 

	Rajnish Kumar, ixigo co-founder and CTO said: “It (ixigo) has always believed in simplifying the lives of travellers and one of the pain areas we wished to solve was to make it easier for them to decide whether they should book a wait-listed berth.”
 

	He added: “Over 50,000 PNR status checks and nearly 200,000 train information requests are done on our app every day. Our machine learning algorithms will keep improving the accuracy of the system with every new train PNR tracked inside our apps. We expect to go from the current 90% to 95% accuracy...”
 

	Apart from PNR prediction, ixigo's app already includes features such as budget hotel bookings, cab bookings, packages, station alarms, platform numbers and coach positions of trains.
 In a significant move, <keyword id="71696" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Micromax">Micromax</keyword> has recently made a strategic investment in ixigo which was launched in 2007 by Aloke Bajpai and Rajnish Kumar.

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