TravTalk India Online Magazine
India’s travel industry is on the brink of a transformative era and Travelport is well-equipped to lead the transformation with its international presence and commitment to innovation. With focus on content curation, agility, and customer-centric solutions, the retail platform ensures it remains a trusted partner for the travel ecosystem in India and beyond.
Surbhi Sharma
India’s travel industry is witnessing unprecedented growth, marked by a surge in infrastructure development, increasing air travel adoption, and evolving consumer trends. Travelport, a global leader in travel retail technology, is at the forefront of this transformation. John Elieson, COO, Travelport and Alexis Guest, Vice President – Global Operator, Travelport, share insights with TRAVTALK on the dynamic Indian market and their company’s role in shaping the future.
Dynamic Indian market
Indian market has always been in focus for Travelport, but its significance has grown exponentially in recent years. Elieson said, “India is one of the two largest markets for Travelport, and we operate in over 180 countries worldwide.” He emphasised India’s remarkable growth, driven by new airports, massive aircraft orders, and a burgeoning middle class. “This demographic shift is introducing millions of first-time flyers to the skies, fuelling the rapid expansion of domestic and international travel,” he reasoned.
Leveraging content curation
Travelport’s strategy focuses on agility, consistency, and stability to keep pace with the evolving landscape. One of key priorities of the retail platform is to enhance the travel experience through better content curation. “We have been looking forward to this opportunity to get hundreds of our customers together in one place to discuss how we are operationalising and curating sources of content from various places,” he said, adding that the approach ensures that travel agencies and sellers have access to diverse and high-quality content to serve their customers effectively.
Guest, the Vice President – Global Operators, highlighted the importance of content normalisation, particularly with the integration of New Distribution Capability (NDC). “Travelport’s content curation layer is intended to normalise all forms of content, including NDC, and help suppliers and agents sell content to the consumer,” Guest said. “By simplifying access to different content sources, Travelport empowers travel agencies to deliver seamless and personalised experiences to its customers,” she added.
Emerging trends in Indian travel
India’s tier-II and III cities are becoming major players in the travel industry, thanks to new airport developments. “We are witnessing an explosion of travel within India. This growth presents enormous opportunities for airlines, travel agencies, and the broader travel ecosystem,” she opined. Moreover, direct-to-consumer trends are reshaping how travellers interact with the industry. Travelport’s products and services are designed to address these trends, Guest said.
Path ahead
Elieson said, “The growth for ITQ and Travelport has been fabulous, as we will touch over 32 million mark this year and continue to invest in the Indian market so that we can continue to lead and be first.” He added, “We operate in 180 countries or markets around the world. Among them, India stands out as our top priority. The Indian market is the most strategic and important to our purposes and very soon we will make a new announcement for this marketplace.”
