New Delhi: Travel and hospitality companies – Airbnb, EaseMyTrip, OYO and Yatra – have teamed up to create the Confederation of Hospitality, Technology and Tourism Industry (CHATT) to empower and support small operators.

It aims to promote domestic tourism, lead the digital transformation of tourism-related business and operational models, and conduct advocacy programs, training and programs for all industry segments. Every member has access to 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.

Founding members of the association include Amanpreet Bajaj, General Manager, Airbnb – India, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan, Nishant Pitti, Co-Founder and CEO – EaseMyTrip.com; Rohit Kapoor, CEO – OYO India & Southeast Asia, and Dhruv Shringi, Co-Founder and CEO – Yatra.com.

At CHATT’s virtual launch event, Minister of State for Culture and Tourism (Independent Charge) Prahlad Singh Patel said the association would promote the interests of the smallest and often under-represented operators and work with the government on various fronts in this space.

“The establishment of CHATT will fuel India’s robust domestic tourism market and help small hotel partners, homeowners and agents expand their offerings to meet the needs of tourists. The Ministry of Tourism is continuously striving to make the data of hotels and host families available on the unified portal – NIDHI for the benefit of tourists and CHATT will play a decisive role in this, “he added.

Patel also said the ministry is working on a unified policy and creating protocols for travelers vaccinated against Covid-19.

Oyo’s Ritesh Agarwal highlighted that the challenges facing small businesses in the hospitality industry are unique and need to be addressed differently. “Most of these companies are often underrepresented, a problem that we want to solve with CHATT. We will also try to provide technological support and set safety / hygiene guidelines for this segment, “he said.

After Covid, consumer preferences have also constantly changed as more and more travelers move away from mass tourism, said Airbnb’s Amanpreet Bajaj.

“Technology adoption is growing rapidly on both the travel and business side. Small business owners in the industry need the support to adapt to the changes that the Covid-19 pandemic will bring, “he added.

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