Newstrack

Travelocity works out hotel-first approach to capture market

ETW - Staff

Scott Blume

Sabre Holdings-owned Travelocity's Indian arm - Travelocity India - has taken a 'hotels first' approach and will focus on hotel bookings than on air ticketing for now. The travel portal has its teams based in Mumbai and New Delhi.

On his recent visit to India for the launch of its India wing, Scott Blume, its president for Asia Pacific and ZUJI CEO, had said that the team is in place and the site is ready. "We are poised to revolutionise the way hotels are booked in India. The focus on real-time local and international hotel reservations marks a strategic differentiator for Travelocity versus many other online travel agencies in India. Further, Travelocity India is the only online travel agency with international tried and tested online reservation and payment technology that has been customised for Indian travellers," he had added.

Himanshu Singh, managing director of Travelocity India, said, "We have already processed many bookings from eager travellers showing that Indians are very ready, willing and able to make real-time hotel bookings online with Travelocity India. We also offer our users the ability to do calendar shopping of live inventory and rates which is unique. Technology is the key and we are firm about investing more in technology to offer the best to our consumers."

Travelocity India also offers travellers the ability to find and pre-book 4,000 popular sights, tours and activities by interest or in popular destinations worldwide, including city tours and access destination guides and other travel tools. It also claims to offers high internet security policy and an in-depth privacy policy to ensure travellers of confidentiality, and help to book is at hand if needed by phone or email.

At present, the website offers Indian travellers choice of 72,000 hotels, 1,056 cruise options and over 4,000 sights, tours and activities across the world along with destination guides and other travel tools.