Paytm, a leading financial services company in India, has recently partnered with travel aggregators like Skyscanner, Google Flights, and Wego to enhance its travel segment offerings. The company has seen a significant increase in flight bookings, with a 19% annual increase in the first quarter of the year and a 15% year-on-year increase in international ticket bookings in April. Paytm has been focusing on expanding its travel services, such as guaranteed seat assistance and tatkal bookings for train bookings. It has also partnered with Samsung to offer flight and bus ticket bookings through the Samsung wallet, and integrated its distribution capability with companies like Amadeus, which offers AI-powered capabilities for more tailored travel options.
Ixigo, an online travel company, has expanded its partnership with fintech platform PhonePe to include flight and bus bookings in addition to train bookings. This integration will allow PhonePe users to access services from Ixigo Flights for flight bookings and AbhiBus for bus bookings, along with features like free cancellations and flexible bookings. This expansion aims to provide a more holistic travel booking experience for users of both platforms.
The construction of the Noida International Airport in India has been delayed by 7 months, with commercial operations now expected to begin by the end of April 2025. The airport is currently in an advanced stage of construction, with work on the runway, passenger terminal, and control tower progressing well. The previous completion deadline for the project was set for September 29, 2024. This delay may impact travel plans and infrastructure development in the region.
The Uttar Pradesh government in India is planning to market its Buddhist sites, located in the ‘Buddhist Circuit’, to Southeast Asian countries. These sites, including Sarnath, Kapilvastu, Kaushambi, Kushinagar, Shravasti, and Sankisa, attract tourists from Japan, China, Thailand, Singapore, South Korea, Vietnam, and Sri Lanka. The state government is investing INR 300 million ($3.6 million) to develop infrastructure at the Sankisa site, including construction of a boundary wall, passenger sheds, water facilities, toilets, restrooms, lighting, and a Buddhist museum. This marketing initiative aims to boost tourism and cultural exchange between Uttar Pradesh and Southeast Asian nations.
Budget airline Air India Express and travel conglomerate Riya Group have formed a strategic alliance to integrate the travel company’s visa services on the airline’s website. This collaboration allows customers of the airline to access and apply for visas to any destination, providing a convenient one-stop solution for flight booking and visa application processes. This partnership aims to streamline the travel experience for customers and enhance the services provided by both companies in the travel industry.
