Flipkart launches domestic and international hotel booking service

Flipkart, an e-commerce marketplace, has announced the launch of a hotel-booking feature on its platform for the travel sector. To offer better reach and options to customers, it said it will offer three lakh domestic and international hotels. It will also offer benefits like flexible travel and booking-related policies, EMI options. 

The company owns online travel company Cleartrip whose application programme interface it will use and integrate it into its app and website. 

In addition to the deals, it will have a customer care center for support and user-related queries.   

“New travel trends like exploring lesser-known destinations, work-cations, long stays, and vacation rentals are becoming mainstream. These developments are giving a boost to the travel industry. Given the 70% growth in the last quarter compared to a CAGR of 60% over the last two years, the next festive quarter is expected to be even better for the overall travel industry,” the company said in a statement.

Adarsh Menon, senior vice president of the company said, “We are excited to launch this on our app which will provide access to affordable hotel stays convenient for the customers. The flight feature is on a steady path of growth in the travel industry since we entered this space. With this, we are strengthening our commitment to provide a better experience and superior service to our customers across metros and beyond tiers. With our banking partner’s financial offerings, the customers will unlock great value in this segment and enhance our capabilities as a preferred one-stop shop for the travel booking needs of Indian customers.” 

Research conducted by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has said that the travel and tourism sector’s contribution to the Indian economy could surpass pre-pandemic levels in 2022, with a year-on-year growth of 20.7%. The forecast from the WTTC’s Economic Impact Report (EIR) said the sector’s contribution to the nation’s economy could reach almost ₹15.9 trillion ($215 billion) in 2022, 1% above 2019 levels.