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Rohit Kapoor of OYO hotels and homes on India’s favourite travel hotspots and trends to be expected in 2021

<ul><li>With COVID-19 impacting the hospitality industry, bringing revenues down to almost zero, to now the steady recovery of the industry, there’s a lot that has happened through the course of the year. </li><li>Hospitality was one of the worst affected industries worldwide, however, with cities unlocking and global restrictions easing gradually, India topped the charts for OYO as the most booked country.</li><li>As OYO launches its annual Travelopedia, Rohit Kapoor, CEO, <keyword id="7036155" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="OYO-Hotels-Homes">OYO Hotels &amp; Homes</keyword>, India &amp; South Asia tells us about India's favourite tourist hotspots, COVID-19 impact on OYO, <keyword id="10519936" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="travel-sentiment">travel sentiment</keyword> this year and some trends he expects to see in 2021. </li></ul>2020 has been a unique year that pushed every brand and industry to transform itself. While it started on a good note for the hospitality industry, with January 2020 (pre-covid) being the most travelled month, April 2020 witnessed most cancellations across the country owing to the government’s precautionary lockdown. Hospitality was one of the worst affected industries worldwide. The grinding halt on travel and tourism impacted home-grown hospitality brand OYO by bringing its revenue down to zero levels during the lockdown. However, with cities unlocking and global restrictions easing gradually, India topped the charts for OYO as the most booked country while Delhi clocked in the most bookings across the world in 2020. Consumer confidence was at its highest during December 2020 as OYO saw the highest number of bookings since India unlocked. Today, Ritesh Agarwal’s OYO has reached ~45% of pre-COVID occupancy levels and its used room nights have grown steadily 40% m-o-m since bottoming out in May. Some of the brands are performing much better with <keyword id="4100346" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Oyo-Townhouse">OYO Townhouse</keyword> operating at 85% of pre-COVID occupancy levels. An OYO Hotel in Shahjahanpur and another in Chennai witnessed an average occupancy of 100% since lockdown. Over 8.5 million new user bookings were made on the OYO app and website in 2020. We caught up with Rohit Kapoor, CEO, OYO - India &amp; South Asia to discuss some of the key trends that came out in its third annual report - OYO Travelopedia 2020. <div type="Video" msid="80040904" hostid="261" title="Rohit Kapoor of OYO hotels and homes on India’s favourite travel hotspots and trends to be expected in 2021" dataSource="BUSINESSINSIDER" thumbUrl="https://denmark.timesinternet.in/cmslite/api/app/images.jpg?msid=80040904"></div> Lockdown’s impact A month down into the nation-wide lockdown, OYO realised that the macro factors cannot be controlled. As the hospitality industry came to a complete halt till the end of June, OYO decided to focus on improving its consumers and stakeholders’ pain points. It also wanted to use its space smartly by giving back to the society. It offered a helping hand to various hospitals and their doctors across the country. “After a few consumers started showing interest in travel, we launched an extensive campaign across the country to get in touch with our partners and stay in very close touch with our consumers. We tried to identify what consumers were thinking, some problems they were facing and what we could do to solve them. We worked with 24+ state ministries, 50+ government and private hospitals and hosted about a 250,000+ hospital staff and asymptomatic patients during the lockdown. 200+ sailors were safely quarantined at OYOs across India. 1,50,000 litres of disinfectant and 70,000 litres of sanitisers were used since April to welcome our guests,” shared Kapoor. OYO also on-boarded Sonu Sood as its brand ambassador, who emerged as a knight in shining armour and has been applauded for his humanitarian work to send thousands of stranded migrants back home during the lockdown. It launched a nation-wide campaign with Sood to woo its consumers. <div type="Youtube" id="ijSg92O1d30" title="OYO Sanitised Before Your Eyes" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ijSg92O1d30/mqdefault.jpg"></div> When Vande Bharat started, approximately 73,000 repatriated Indians completed their institutional quarantine at OYOs across India. Amongst these, most bookings were made by guests travelling from the Middle East, primarily UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait and Qatar. Insights from OYO’s Travelopedia According to Kapoor’s predictions based on travelopedia’s insights, leisure travel is making a steady comeback - with tourist hotspots of Visakhapatnam, Kochi, Tirupati, Goa, Mussoorie recovering faster than other destinations. The data also revealed that Delhi, Bangalore and Hyderabad ranked as the most popular cities among business travellers while Jaipur, Goa, Kochi were travellers’ favourite domestic leisure hotspots. <div type="image" title="Oyo travelopedia" msid="80040415" hostid="261"></div> Speaking on one of the most important trends this year for OYO, Kapoor said, “One of the most humbling things we found out that has stayed with me is that a guest has stayed with us 128 times this year, something that tells us that we are on the right path and that our customers have immense faith in us even in tough times. While 2021 will be a new learning in itself, we’re hopeful that the changes we have brought in 2020 will set new precedents in the travel and hospitality sector and we are completely motivated to work towards providing safe stays to all our customers.” We're at that time of the year when people normally are in the mood to travel. Across India, without any surprise, the tourist hotspot of Goa emerged as the most booked beach destination, followed by Kochi, Vizag and Pondicherry. To target these beach-lovers, OYO also launched a campaign earlier this month titled ‘Chalo Beach Chalein.’ <div type="Youtube" id="6W_9U2C7G30" title="OYO | Chal Beach Chalein" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/6W_9U2C7G30/mqdefault.jpg"></div> Interestingly, OYO has also seen a resurgence in religious tourism. Puri emerged as India’s top pilgrimage destination, followed by Vrindavan, Tirupati, Shirdi, and Varanasi. In December 2020, over 17 lakh people checked-in over the weekends. December 12, 2020 saw the most number of bookings (so far). The next estimated date is December 31, 2020 (bookings still coming in) Telling us how December turned out for OYO, Kapoor said, “This month, people are traveling to places they wouldn’t have thought of visiting earlier. For example, many of our users have shown interest in Mukteshwar, Ramgad or Bhimtal. Plus, one big change for everyone is that during this part of the year, people travel to international locations -- that’s not happening this year. That demand is getting funnelled to domestic markets and that is a trend I foresee continuing for at least 12 more months.” Kapoor has been traveling himself to locations he wouldn’t have been to otherwise. He has been to Jaipur and Udaipur with his family, then he went to Ramgad and worked from there for 15 days. He has also been on a road trip to Lucknow, Allahabad and Kolkata. From his many road trips to different parts of our country and from OYO’s in-depth research study, Kapoor noticed how people aren’t staying with their relatives anymore. They preferred living in a hotel, which is a cultural shift in our country. Walking us through Travelpedian further, Kapoor said, “If you look at the patterns emerge, the first unlock started with the big cities and we wondered what is it that these big cities offered: one type of cohort was those who wanted to just leave their homes and work from somewhere else. Secondly, people were worried about going and staying in someone else’s home, which is pretty common in India. I was in Allahabad in September and was trying to book an OYO, it was fully sold out. It was because of an exam which was going on and it was booked by parents whose kids were appearing for that exam. Third thing we saw is seasonality disappearing because work from home is allowed. The classic pattern of people travelling during peak seasons and vacations is phasing out. People are going away for staycations, working for 8-10 hours and using the rest of time for leisure. Lastly, they are also up for impromptu plans because they want to be reasonably sure that they are ready to travel.” OYO’s goals for 2021 The focus areas in 2021 would be more or less the same at OYO. Kapoor said that one thing that COVID-19 has taught us is that the future is unpredictable and the team is prepared for uncertain 2-3 quarters. “We have learnt the power of building product-led solutions for partners and that we will continue to invest in that. We want to open OYO-products and solutions to a much wider set of customers. We have all kinds of customers today but I think we have the opportunity to present OYO as the best option for anybody who is seeking good-quality experience. OYO has been recognised as the best start-up to work with and my focus would be to continue being the best place to work with for our target not just in India, but globally as well.”

Over 8.5 million new user bookings were made on the OYO app and website in 2020: Rohit Kapoor

<ul><li>Nearly 1.8 - 2 lakh guests spent their long weekend at OYOs across India </li><li>OYO’s <keyword id="9896751" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="booking-trends">booking trends</keyword> reveal that Jaipur, Goa, and Kochi topped as India’s most <keyword id="10055480" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="popular-leisure-destinations">popular leisure destinations</keyword> among travellers this long weekend.</li></ul>With state borders opening up and relaxation of restrictions across the country, travelers are back into action. As per OYO’s recent consumer survey, 57% of respondents said that their next trip would be for leisure, while 61% had already decided the destination for their coming vacation. OYO’s booking trends for the long weekend, between 02nd and 04th October, clearly reflects India’s travel aspirations and confidence to hit the roads once again. As a result, <keyword id="7036155" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="OYO-Hotels-Homes">OYO Hotels &amp; Homes</keyword>, saw a 72% surge in bookings for leisure destinations between 02nd October and 04th October. Over the weekend, nearly 1.8 - 2 lakh guests spent their long weekend at OYOs across India. OYO’s booking trends reveal that Jaipur, Goa, and Kochi topped as India’s most popular leisure destinations among travellers this long weekend. Interestingly, most of this demand came from Delhi, making it the city with the highest aspirations to travel again. Through OYO’s consumer survey, safety emerged as the consumer’s top priority, further to which 56% would opt to travel via a private vehicle to nearby locations with their family or friends. The survey also highlights that travellers are most likely to plan their vacations between 1 - 3 days. Very close to the survey findings, OYO has observed that Delhiites took inter-state road trips to tourist hotspots, with Jaipur and Agra topping charts. Majority travellers from Pune, Bangalore, Mumbai preferred to spend their long weekend along the exotic and relaxing beaches of Goa. Down South, Kochi was the most popular leisure destination, with most people coming into the city from Bangalore, Kozhikode, and Thiruvananthapuram. As for leisure destinations like Lucknow, Jaipur and Vishakhapatnam, most demand stemmed from Bhubaneshwar and Vijaywada respectively. Here are the top leisure destinations across India and the four zones across the country: <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none;"></colgroup></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Region </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Most popular leisure destinations for the 02nd October long weekend </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">India </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Jaipur Goa Kochi Vishakhapatnam Agra </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">North India </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Jaipur Agra Mussoorie </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">South India </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Kochi Vishakhapatnam Pondicherry </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">North East India </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Digha </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">West India </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Goa </td></tr></tbody></table> To ensure their health and safety, during their stay over the long weekend, OYO’s consumer survey shows that the majority of travellers are looking for value for money and cleanliness while booking their accommodation. Standing true to this insight, a whopping 91% of guests chose OYO hotels and homes with the ‘Sanitised Stays’ safety tag. Commenting on the boost in bookings and comeback of leisure travel, Rohit Kapoor, CEO, India &amp; South Asia, OYO said, “Travel is coming back, faster than we expected. All around the world, people are now looking forward to travelling and especially, exploring exciting local hidden gems. With safety being the traveller’s first priority, air travel has taken a backseat for more private and safer options like in-city staycations and roadtrips to nearby domestic vacation spots. We’re extremely happy to share that we saw a 72% surge in bookings this long weekend. These green shoots for leisure travel are a positive sign of rising consumer confidence. It shows that people are ready to move beyond the challenges brought about by the pandemic and embrace solutions to resume life in the new normal, with precautions and by diligently following the necessary government guidelines.” He adds, “At OYO, we are listening to our consumers, ensuring that we address their concerns, their worries and their requirements to make travel decisions simpler, more convenient. To do so, our senior leaders personally spoke with 2000+ consumers and through these conversations, we understood that leisure travel will eventually come back soon, and therefore, we strengthened our preparedness to welcome guests safely with Sanitsied Stays. We also introduced Travel Assistance on our app to help with COVID-19 testing and state-wise guidelines, and thereby, becoming a part of our guests’ journey right from the very beginning.” While there’s a surge in demand for leisure travel across the country, consumers are increasingly looking for trusted clean &amp; sanitised stays, with 80% users searching for sanitised stays, while 46% users seeking regulation related information while planning their next travel.

Indians are travelling again! OYO saw a 72% surge in bookings for destinations like Jaipur, Goa and Kochi during the long weekend

<ul><li>Seven years after being launched, <keyword id="2808667" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="OYO">OYO</keyword>'s app has crossed the 50 million <keyword id="1489786" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="app-downloads">app downloads</keyword> mark.</li><li>While India is leading in terms of download, it is followed by Indonesia, Malaysia, the USA, and Brazil.</li><li>In 2020, on average, the company witnessed 32 app installs per minute.</li></ul>Homegrown <keyword id="29913" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="hospitality">hospitality</keyword> chain OYO has crossed the 50 million app downloads mark today, with India leading with the most downloads followed by Indonesia, Malaysia, the USA, and Brazil. OYO came into existence in 2013 and has now become a truly Indian brand that put itself on the global map. Here is some more interesting trivia on OYO’s app downloads milestone: <ul><li>In 2020, on average, the company witnessed 32 app installs per minute</li><li>Across India, the top five cities with the most downloads include New Delhi, Pune, Kolkata, Lucknow and Hyderabad</li><li>The app data reveals that Delhi ranked as the city with the most active consumer base in India</li><li>This year, January saw the most downloads globally, indicating traveller’s aspirations for the holiday season, prior to the pandemic</li><li>The OYO app is available in 9 languages across the world, including English, Hindi, Portuguese, Spanish, Bahasa, Arabic, Japanese, and Vietnamese.</li></ul> Commenting on the milestone, Rohit Kapoor, CEO, India &amp; South Asia, OYO said, “We, at OYO, truly believe that the pandemic has transformed us for the better, as it forced us to think ahead of time, re-tool and introduce several initiatives to cope with the new normal. We have directed our efforts in continuously innovating ways to ensure the best customer experiences, be it rolling out Yo! Help, our realtime assistant, or partnering with Unilever to enhance our Sanitised Stays initiative.” “There couldn’t have been a better time for us to have hit the 50 million app downloads mark this year. We’re thrilled and humbled at the same time. Since Unlock 3.0, OYO has managed to reach 30% of the pre-Covid occupancy levels with bookings led by millennials and small and mid-sized businesses across 20+ states and UTs. This is a positive sign showcasing consumer intent to travel again. It is also a testament to OYO’s resilience, ability to adapt, and most importantly, our strengthening consumer confidence. We stand ready to welcome everyone who is looking for quality accommodation at affordable prices, making it accessible to one and all. In the past six years and especially this year, we’ve worked across the length and breadth of the product to ensure that we become a truly customer-obsessed organisation that cares about delivering the best experiences to our guests every step of the way.” OYO rolled out several initiatives to ensure the health and safety of its guests with the introduction of Sanitised Stays, thereby implementing minimal touch policies, enabling digital payments, contactless check-ins, and check-outs. OYO also joined forces with Unilever, the global consumer goods company, to further enhance its sanitisation efforts across OYO’s properties. Unilever’s R&amp;D team is also working with OYO to co-create Standard Operating Procedures for cleaning to maximise the positive effects of its products. OYO properties where these operating procedures are used will display a tag on booking pages to show Unilever products have been used in cleaning services. This global partnership began in India and is scheduled to go live across Indonesia, Vietnam, the US, LATAM, and Europe. Recently, understanding that during such times, when the world is adapting to newer ways of living alongside the virus, through digital and tech-based solutions, OYO launched Yo! Help, a 24*7 real-time chat assistant for guests with a valid booking across its hotels and homes globally. Through this technology, the hospitality chain is set to enable seamless experiences throughout the consumer journey, right from the post-booking to post-checkout or cancellation phases.

Homegrown OYO sees 50 million app downloads globally

<ul><li><keyword id="7355473" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="OYO-Life">Oyo Life</keyword> currently operates 40,000 beds across 9 cities. </li><li>By 2019 end, it aims to have 100,000 beds.</li><li>OYO has also claimed that it is now the largest ‘long-term’ coliving space. </li></ul>OYO Life has set ambitious target of adding more than twice its beds by the end of the year. It means the co-living venture of OYO will expand from its current 40,000 beds to 100,000. “We expect the co-living market to continue to grow further and we are geared to provide over 100,000 beds by 2019-end,” said Rohit Kapoor, CEO of new real estate businesses at OYO. OYO now claims to be the largest ‘long-term’ coliving space. It currently has an occupancy of 85-90%. “Originally targeted at young professionals and first jobbers, we have been seeing interesting case studies of customers across various stages of life ranging from students, couples, right up to families and senior citizens across diverse income groups, choosing OYO LIFE as their preferred option,” said Kapoor. In September, it also partnered with IIT Delhi and Plaksha University to manage over 500 beds. Oyo claims to provide students with amenities such as surveillance and security, Wi-Fi and food. The prices start at ₹6,500 and goes up to ₹12,999 per bed, per month. According to a report Student Accommodation Provider Association of India (SAPFI) and CBRE, the student housing sector will attract as much as $700 million investment and add 600,000 beds by 2023.

Oyo’s co-living venture wants to expand twice over in two months

<ul><li><keyword id="7966898" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="oyo-workspaces">OYO Workspaces</keyword> has launched its latest coworking centre in Delhi which is built in a heritage old fort style. </li><li><keyword id="2808667" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="OYO">OYO</keyword> had announced its official entry into coworking spaces in July with the acquisition of <keyword id="1252549" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Innov8">Innov8</keyword>. </li><li>It had acquired Innov8 for $30 million.</li></ul>OYO Workspaces has launched its latest space in the national capital – an old fort style building in Saket. The old fort building is converted into a swanky co-working space with over 415 seats, while preserving its ‘classical essence’. “The centre is a perfect combination of old world charm and modern design, making it a unique proposition for the millennial workforce. This centre is a testament to our expertise in upgrading various forms of real estate and rapidly transforming them into efficient, connected and beautiful workspaces,” said Rohit Kapoor, CEO, New Real Estate Businesses, OYO. 
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 OYO Workspaces is the coworking vertical of the hospitality unicorn launched OYO. The business was launched after it acquired Innov8 for $30 million in July 2019. Innov8 was founded by Dr Ritesh Malik, and has a strong presence of 13 centers. It has over 200 clientele, with a seat occupancy for 5,000 coworkers throughout its centres.

OYO’s latest coworking space will give you a glimpse of the old world charm

<ul><li><keyword id="7355473" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="OYO-Life">OYO Life</keyword> has partnered with <keyword id="57604" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="iit-delhi">IIT Delhi</keyword> and <keyword id="8149820" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="plaksha-university">Plaksha University</keyword> to manage over 500 beds. </li><li>The pricing starts at ₹6,500 and goes up to ₹12,999 per bed. </li><li><keyword id="2808667" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="OYO">OYO</keyword> Life was launched in 2018 and is present in 4 cities – Delhi, NCR, Pune and Bangalore. </li></ul>OYO Life, a subsidiary of OYO Hotel and Homes, announced that it is expanding into <keyword id="4372526" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="student-housing">student housing</keyword> segment. It also partnered with IIT Delhi and Plaksha University to manage over 500 beds. “The demand for fully furnished, fully maintained, internet-ready accommodations and innovative services has increased manifold. We are confident that our growing presence in the student housing segment will enable us to scale 100K beds by 2019-end,” said Rohit Kapoor, CEO, New Real Estate Businesses, OYO. Oyo claims to provide students with amenities such as surveillance and security, Wi-Fi and food.The prices start at ₹6,500 and goes up to ₹12,999 per bed, per month. OYO Life launched in 2018 and is present in these cities – Delhi and NCR, Pune and Bangalore. They operate over 30,000 beds. The competition in the student housing segment is heating up. Recently, home rental startup Nestaway too said that it will enter the segment. Stanza Living is another player who has been catering to this segment for the last two years. According to a report released today by Student Accommodation Provider Association of India (SAPFI) and CBRE, the student housing sector will attract as much as $700 million investment and add 600,000 beds by 2023.

OYO enters the student housing segment, partners with IIT Delhi and Plaksha University

New Delhi, May 19 () Hospitality firm OYO on Tuesday said it is taking several measures to minimise the impact of COVID-19, and innovating to meet new standards of good quality hospitality experience at its hotels. These steps include customer, asset partners and employee-centric initiatives to identify challenges and operate in the post-lockdown hospitality sector, OYO said in a statement. In the first phase, OYO plans to implement measures such as sanitised stays with minimal touch and booking platforms will feature a 'Sanitised Stays' tag to showcase properties that clear background checks for sanitisation, hygiene, and protective equipment, it added. The company plans to implement these measures in 1,000 hotels within the next 10 days and as the lockdown relaxes, and aims to implement the measures in all 18,000 hotels in the country, OYO said. The company understands that there will be drastic changes in customer needs in a post-lockdown world. Therefore, to operate in the given circumstances, OYO has devised measures to manage and deliver on customer expectations, it added. The measures will include revamping guest check-in and check-out to a minimal touch process and minimal contact service during the stay. The steps also include training of on-ground teams and measures such as health screening for guests as well as staff, frequent proper sanitisation of the space, encourage in-room dining, among others, OYO said. "As a responsible hospitality chain, we at OYO, are working towards welcoming guests, post-lockdown and maintaining health, hygiene and well-being as our topmost priorities for all our stakeholders including our guests, partners and OYOpreneurs," OYO India &amp; South Asia CEO Rohit Kapoor said. Customer behaviour is seeing changes across the hospitality industry with hygiene, safety standards and minimal-touch SOPs soon to become the norm, he added. "Given the situation, our teams across the length and breadth of the organisation are innovating new ways to ensure safety and hygiene to welcome all our guests," Kapoor said. AKT BAL BAL

OYO takes measures to mitigate COVID-19 impact, offer quality hospitality experience

New Delhi, Dec 2 () Hospitality firm OYO on Monday said it has elevated Aditya Ghosh, currently chief executive officer (India &amp; South Asia) for the hotels and homes business, as a member of its board of directors.
 Rohit Kapoor, currently CEO of the new real estate businesses of the company, has been appointed as CEO (India &amp; South Asia) for OYO Hotels &amp; Homes, it added.
 Ghosh will join OYO Hotels &amp; Homes founder &amp; Group CEO Ritesh Agarwal, Baja Corporation founder &amp; CEO Betsy Atkins and other industry experts like Munish Varma, Bejul Somaia and Mohit Bhatnagar, among others, on the company's board, OYO Hotels &amp; Homes said in a statement.
 In his role on the board, Ghosh will focus on five key areas namely, safety and security, customer experience, corporate governance, revenue management and stakeholder communications, the statement said.
 "Ghosh's strong business acumen, problem-solving capabilities, passion for building an organisation with strong corporate governance and a high-performing work culture that thrives on principles of diversity and inclusion, make him the perfect choice for this larger and more strategic role, at a global level," OYO Hotels &amp; Homes founder &amp; Group CEO Ritesh Agarwal said.
 The decision will help OYO achieve its goals globally, he added.
 On the appointment, Ghosh said, "I am thankful to the board for inviting me into the august group to further build OYO as a global brand to reckon with, by not just growing fast, but growing right."
 Ghosh and Kapoor will "work closely through the coming month to enable a smooth and seamless transition", the statement said.
 Rohit's remit will now also span the operations of over 18,000 hotels across over 500 cities in India and South Asia, it added. AKT HRS

OYO elevates India & South Asia CEO Aditya Ghosh to board of directors

(Eds: Recasting intro) New Delhi, Apr 22 () OYO on Wednesday informed employees that 25 per cent of their fixed salaries will be cut and asked some staff to go on a four-month leave with limited benefits from May 4 as the hotel rooms aggregator grapples with "economic pressures" due to COVID-19. The company, which has around 10,000 employees in the country, is a leading player in the hospitality industry that has been ravaged by the coronavirus pandemic. The nationwide lockdown, which has been extended till May 3, to curb spreading of infections has also significantly disrupted economic activities. "We had to take the hard decision of placing some OYOpreneurs on a leave with limited benefits (LwLB) from May 4, 2020, for four months until August 2020," OYO India and South Asia CEO Rohit Kapoor said in a email send to the employees which has been accessed by . Those going on this leave will avail benefits such as continuation of medical insurance and parental insurance, school fee reimbursement and ex-gratia support, he added. "In addition, to our colleagues on LwLB, in case there is an unforeseen medical emergency, we will support beyond the insured amounts, if the need so arises," Kapoor said. All these colleagues remain integral to the OYO family and "we hope we will be in a position to welcome them back into full-time roles sooner rather than later," he added. OYO is taking all necessary actions to mitigate COVID-19's impact and ensure long-term success and sustenance of the business while ensuring there are no job cuts despite the economic pressures, Kapoor said. When asked about the number of employees it is placing on leave, the company refused to share any numbers. The company, however, confirmed that the employees will receive an ex-gratia amount equal to a total of 60 per cent of the monthly fixed salary, paid in two equal instalments across May and June. OYO is also taking a difficult but necessary step for India, whereby the company is asking all employees to accept a reduction in their fixed compensation by 25 per cent. This will be effective for April-July 2020 payroll, Kapoor said. "All other benefits and terms of your contract will remain unchanged. Also, note that this action will be planned in such a way that post the proposed pay cut, the fixed compensation for any employee is not less than Rs 5 lakh per annum. "This ensures a large percentage of our colleagues at lower pay scales see no impact," he added. Earlier this month, OYO had started placing some of its employees on furloughs or temporary leaves in the US and other select markets on account of slump in the hospitality industry due to COVID-19 pandemic. "OYO has been a leading brand in the hospitality industry, hence the revenue impact of the crisis is significant - about 50-60 per cent revenue drop now... For our peer hotel chains in the industry, the revenue drop impact is as high as upwards of 75 per cent," OYO Founder and Group CEO Ritesh Agarwal had said at that time. AKT ANSANS

OYO cuts 25% of fixed pay of employees; sends some staff on leave with limited benefits

New Delhi, Apr 22 () OYO on Wednesday asked some of its staff in India to go on leave with limited benefits from May 4 for four months, and also asked all employees in the country to accept a cut in their fixed salaries by 25 per cent due to the impact of the COVID-19 on the hospitality industry. The company currently has around 10,000 employees in the country. "We had to take the hard decision of placing some OYOpreneurs on a leave with limited benefits (LwLB) from May 4, 2020, for four months until August 2020," OYO India and South Asia CEO Rohit Kapoor said in a email send to the employees which has been accessed by . Those going on this leave will avail benefits such as continuation of medical insurance and parental insurance, school fee reimbursement and ex-gratia support, he added. "In addition, to our colleagues on LwLB, in case there is an unforeseen medical emergency, we will support beyond the insured amounts, if the need so arises," Kapoor said. All these colleagues remain integral to the OYO family and "we hope we will be in a position to welcome them back into full-time roles sooner rather than later," he added. OYO is taking all necessary actions to mitigate COVID-19's impact and ensure long-term success and sustenance of the business while ensuring there are no job cuts despite the economic pressures, Kapoor said. When asked about the number of employees it is placing on leave, the company refused to share any numbers. The company, however, confirmed that the employees will receive an ex-gratia amount equal to a total of 60 per cent of the monthly fixed salary, paid in two equal instalments across May and June. OYO is also taking a difficult but necessary step for India, whereby the company is asking all employees to accept a reduction in their fixed compensation by 25 per cent. This will be effective for April-July 2020 payroll, Kapoor said. "All other benefits and terms of your contract will remain unchanged. Also, note that this action will be planned in such a way that post the proposed pay cut, the fixed compensation for any employee is not less than Rs 5 lakh per annum. "This ensures a large percentage of our colleagues at lower pay scales see no impact," he added. Earlier this month, OYO had started placing some of its employees on furloughs or temporary leaves in the US and other select markets on account of slump in the hospitality industry due to COVID-19 pandemic. "OYO has been a leading brand in the hospitality industry, hence the revenue impact of the crisis is significant - about 50-60 per cent revenue drop now... For our peer hotel chains in the industry, the revenue drop impact is as high as upwards of 75 per cent," OYO Founder and Group CEO Ritesh Agarwal had said at that time. AKT ANSANS

OYO asks some India employees to go on leave with limited benefits, cuts fixed pay of all by 25 pc

New Delhi, Feb 1 () The Finance Minister's focus to provide impetus to the travel and tourism sector along with development of transportation infrastructure will accelerate the sector's contribution towards country's economy, according to industry players.
 "Increased allocation of funds for the Ministry of Tourism and Ministry of Culture, development of financial roadmaps for tourist destinations and plans to assign specified grants for states will go a long way in accelerating the contribution of the sector towards India's economy," MakeMyTrip Co-founder and CEO-India Rajesh Magow said.
 Presenting the Budget for 2020-21, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday said Rs 3,150 crore has been allocated for the Ministry of Culture and Rs 2,500 crore for the Ministry of Tourism.
 "Additionally, development of five iconic archeological sites across Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu comes as a strategic step towards boosting domestic and inbound heritage tourism to these states," Magow said.
 According to Thomas Cook India Chairman and MD Madhavan Menon said, "... an Indian Institute of Heritage and Conservation will be set up with the status of a deemed university, and this is an imperative towards education and skill development of our sector that contributes a significant 10 per cent to India's GDP".
 The Union Budget intended to give impetus to the Travel and Tourism sector with the allocation of Rs 2,500 crore and equally critical allocation of Rs 1.7 lakh crore towards transportation infrastructure in 2020-21, he added.
 In similar vein, ITC Ltd Executive Director and Chairman-FAITH Nakul Anand said "the allocation to develop 100 new airports by 2024 and the soon to be introduced Tejas trains for iconic destinations are advancements in modern infrastructure that augur well for Indian tourism."
 InterGlobe Hotels President and CEO J B Singh said, "we are hoping that this budget will help in creating and developing new and iconic destinations, thereby redefining the tourism industry, for the better and further improve spending, domestic travel and all this will have great long term benefits for the economy".
 Stating that the vision of government to invest in the tourism sector will be a great push for the hospitality sector, Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels MD Vijay Dewan said: "India's heritage and culture rich experiences have always attracted tourists to the country and government's plan to develop five archaeological sites at iconic sites with on-site museums will attract more tourists from India and globally."
 Sterling Holidays CMD Ramesh Ramanathan said: "We are pleased with the proposed budget, as it will play a pivotal role in the hospitality and domestic tourism sector, and will have a multiplier effect across the board."
 Travel Food Services COO and Business Head Gaurav Dewan said: "The government's focus on development is clear and reinforced with the allocation of additional funds to the Airport, Railway and the Highway sectors."
 This will boost business and leisure travel thereby generating employment, connectivity and overall economic development of catchment areas, he added.
 "The government's push for infrastructure development by building more airports and the announcement of new Tejas trains will boost tourism outside the main centers. This, in turn, will have a positive impact on the hotel sector," Cygnett Hotels and Resorts Founder and MD Sarbendra Sarkar said.
 It is heartening to see a budget that focuses on improving standards of living as well as economic development, OYO, India South Asia CEO Rohit Kapoor said. AKT DRR

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