PremiumNew Delhi: Travel and hospitality tech players -- Airbnb, EaseMyTrip, OYO and Yatra -- have joined hands to launch industry association, Confederation of Hospitality, Technology and Tourism Industry (CHATT), to empower and support small scale operators.
It aims to promote domestic tourism, lead the digital transformation of tourism related business and operating models, and conduct advocacy programmes, educational training and programs for all industry segments. Every member will be able to access all CHATT resources and benefits, including participation in year-round programs, business events, access to the travel-tech ecosystem, including the experts and regional leads among others.
The founding members of the association include Amanpreet Bajaj, general manager, Airbnb - India, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan, Nishant Pitti, co- founder & CEO - EaseMyTrip.com; Rohit Kapoor, CEO - OYO India & Southeast Asia, and Dhruv Shringi, co-founder and CEO - Yatra.com.
Speaking at the virtual launch event of CHATT, minister of state for culture and tourism (Independent Charge), Prahlad Singh Patel said the association will promote the interest of the smallest and often under-represented operators and work together with the government on various fronts in this space.
“CHATT’s formation will boost India’s robust domestic tourism market and support small hotel partners, homeowners, agents to expand their offerings catering to the needs of tourists. The tourism ministry is continuously making efforts to make the data available of hotels, home-stays on the unified portal - NIDHI to benefit tourists and CHATT will play a crucial role in it," he added.
Patel also said the ministry is working on a uniform policy and setting up protocols for travellers getting vaccinated against covid-19.
Oyo’s Ritesh Agarwal highlighted that the challenges faced by small enterprises in the hospitality sector are unique and needs to be handled differently. “Most of these businesses are often under-represented which is one problem we aim to solve through CHATT. We will also look to provide technology support as well as set safety/hygiene guidelines for this segment," he noted.
Post covid, consumer preferences have also been constantly changing as more travellers move away from mass scale tourism, said Airbnb’s Amanpreet Bajaj.
“There’s a rapid acceleration of technology adoption both from traveller as well as business side. Small entrepreneurs in the sector need the support to adopt to the changes brought upon by covid-19 pandemic," he added.
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