After one of the most challenging years of travel and tourism, travellers are most concerned about health and safety measures adopted by the travel partners. In an exclusive chat with BW HOTELIER, Ritu Mehrotra, Regional Manager- South Asia at Booking.com shares her insight on the current scenario.

If one wants to get a good feel of the combined performance of the Indian hospitality, travel and tourism industry, then you are one person who can tell us about geographies and industry per se, lockdown and unlock as yet. Tell us, what is your take and feel in a nutshell? 

The travel industry has been on a rollercoaster ride over the past year where traveller preferences, motivators and parameters evolve at a rapid pace, but what remains constant is people’s love for travel. Travellers have demonstrated optimism and intent on our platform by searching, wishlisting and booking in a safe manner, and that is a testament to their love for travel. 

While demand for travel has unfortunately been impacted by the pandemic, we see this moment as an opportunity to help shape our industry’s future like never before. Together with partners, governments and across the travel ecosystem, we can rebuild travel to be a more sustainable, interconnected and resilient industry. In 2021, we will remain committed to driving value for both our partners and customers as we work together to help the travel industry recover, as travel becomes safe again. 

Online is now par for the course. What in your view is the split between brand-direct, via OTA platforms like yours and what are the trends from a growth standpoint? 

We have witnessed several shifts in traveller behaviour, where travellers are putting health, safety and flexibility at the forefront while making any travel decisions amidst the uncertainty. Search trends on Booking.com also reveal that travellers are increasingly looking to stay in a single place for longer, bringing them the opportunity to experience a destination in a whole new way. To cater to this growing demand, we have introduced weekly and monthly rate plans on our platform which not only benefit our travellers who are looking for longer stays at great prices but also our accommodation partners to capitalize on new sources of demand while boosting occupancy and sustaining business growth, as it becomes safe to travel again. As remote working will continue to be a norm in the near future, we anticipate a continued uptick in demand for more secluded and private environments due to health and safety concerns, as well as vacation-style rentals for longer stays. 

Amongst the after-effects of the pandemic on travel is a shift in preference for sustainable travel. From our recent Sustainable Travel Report 2021, travellers are now more conscious about the environmental impact they can have on destinations, with 88% of Indian travellers saying that the pandemic has made them want to travel more sustainably in the future. In the coming months, the appetite for sustainable and responsible travel would likely build even more momentum. To make sustainable travel easier, Booking.com is currently rolling out a program for properties which includes sharing guidance, insights and best practices with properties via various educational opportunities, aiming to make sustainable travel an easier choice. 

Additionally, technology will play an even greater role in the revival of the industry by creating a seamless, frictionless experience, perfectly tailored to each and every traveller. Ongoing advances in AI, machine learning and data science were already empowering Booking.com to make increasingly personalized recommendations for our customers, and these technologies will continue to play a crucial role for us in delivering on customer needs. 

As travel trends and demands continue to evolve, the industry needs to respond with agility while bringing value to travellers, and continue to adapt and innovate to meet the next phase of growth. 

You handle not just a strong brand, you have quite a geography that you cover. Let me put to you some quickfire questions with short responses 

1. What is Booking.com’s reach to the universe of keys in India, South Asia and Indonesia? 

Booking.com’s mission is to make it easier for everyone to experience the world, when it is safe to do so. Booking.com is currently available in 43 languages and offers over 28 million total reported accommodation listings worldwide including more than 6.5 million listings of homes, apartments and other unique places to stay supporting millions of travellers with incredible and unique stay experiences. 

2. Which of your territories are bouncing back, how and how fast and if you were to rate them, what will be the stack? Within India, which one’s are the top 10 and last 5 

While travel in India was halted for the past few months, travel optimism remains high. With the vaccine roll out well under way coupled with lockdown restrictions slowly beginning to lift across the country, we are noticing the impact of pent-up travel demand and travel intent beginning to build, particularly for domestic destinations. Based on our recent data, some of the most searched Indian destinations in the months of June, July and August besides key metros include destinations like Lonavala, Pune, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Manali and Jaipur*. Staycations and workcations will continue to be a part of the travel agenda due to travel restrictions, border closures and uncertainty surrounding international travel. Travellers are also looking at shorter booking windows and closer-to-home destinations. In terms of accommodation options, travellers are looking at resorts and villas, getaways with fewer crowds, more privacy and ability to gather with loved ones. 

*Destinations stated are as per searches current top searches and are subject to change as the travel environment changes 

3. Is it a myth or true that upcountry/resorts locations are doing better than the top 5 metros? 

Interestingly, our data shows a rather balanced representation of non-metro and metro cities in terms of top booked domestic destinations by Indians for the months of June, July and August. As mentioned earlier, some of the most searched Indian destinations include key metros like New Delhi Mumbai, Bengaluru as well as leisure destinations like Lonavala, Pune, Manali and Jaipur. 

4. How would you stack the top 5 metros as they foray a comeback? 

New Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru are among the top 5 most booked destinations for the months of June, July and August 2021. The data implies that while travellers are exploring closer-to-home destinations, they are also looking at staycations as a viable and quick option to unwind and recharge.

5. Last but not the least, while occupancy is picking up, when will the ARR (Annual Recurring Revenue) get back to pre-lockdown levels? 

The virus' impact on travel is unprecedented, and it will be years and not quarters for travel to return to pre-pandemic levels. Without a doubt, while the pandemic has deeply impacted the travel industry and our business, there is hope for the future. We are confident the industry will recover to pre-pandemic levels as cases eventually decline, vaccine distributions ramp up and lockdown restrictions are lifted. We recognize the industry has a long road ahead to get back to pre-COVID levels and that many still need support. But as travel begins to emerge from this difficult period, we remain committed to rebuilding travel together.

This article was published in BW hotelier issue dated '' with cover story titled 'HYGIENE THE X FACTOR ISSUE VOL 7, ISSUE 2'