IAMAI’s TravelTech committee gets new chair, two co-chairs

1 min read . Updated: 20 Jan 2023, 11:42 AM IST Varuni Khosla

Sanjay Mohan, group CTO, MakeMyTrip India will be the committee’s new chair, while Rikant Pittie and Yang Li will be co-chairs

The Internet and Mobile Association of India has announced the appointment of a new chair and two co-chairs to its TravelTech Committee. Sanjay Mohan, group CTO, MakeMyTrip India will be the committee’s new chair and Rikant Pittie, co-founder of EaseMyTrip, and Yang Li, head-public affairs (APAC), Booking.com, will be the new co-chairs.

The committee’s membership includes MakeMyTrip, Airbnb India, ConfirmTkt, Zophop Technologies and Booking.com.

The leadership, it said in a statement, will engage with the government as well as industry representatives to address some of the key challenges faced by the sector through policy and advocacy at both domestic and international levels.

The team, it added, brings a perspective towards the future of the travel industry and will contribute towards the revival of the sector as well as help gain momentum in the years to come.

Mohan said, “Technology has had a seminal impact on the travel and tourism industry and is increasingly helping to make the user experience more complete and immersive. The TravelTech expanse enables the actualization of India’s tourism potential by increasing the discoverability and reachability of destinations located in the deepest corners, empowering all ecosystem units, including transportation, accommodation, and experiences, while offering affordable payment solutions for all consumer segments. The travel and tourism industry has done well to jump back post the pandemic, but a lot still needs to be achieved. We will further empower innovations in this sector, working closely with policymakers and all key stakeholders to create a pathway for the industry’s growth."

Pittie said, ‘’The travel and tourism industry is growing by leaps and bounds. With technology being immersed in the travel industry, we will see it usher into a new era of advancements where people travel like never before. Digitisation is the future of India and with collective, collaborative and shared goals and support, the travel sector will revolutionise the way we travel in India.’’

The travel market in India is projected to reach $125 billion by FY27 from an estimated $75 billion in FY20. India’s tourism industry in 2020 accounted for 31.8 million jobs, which is likely to grow to 53 million jobs by 2029 and international tourist arrivals are expected to touch 30.5 billion by 2028 said industry chamber Ficci.

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According to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, which the Ficci report cited, international tourism saw a 182% year-on-year increase in January-March, with destinations worldwide welcoming an estimated 117 million international arrivals compared to 41 million in Q1 2021.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Varuni Khosla

Varuni Khosla is a journalist with close to 14 years of experience in writing business news stories for mainstream newspaper companies like Mint and The Economic Times. She reports and writes on luxury and lifestyle brands, hospitality and tourism news, the business of sports, the business of advertising and marketing and alcohol brands.