Indian Travelers Looking at Airlines, Hotels to Boost Sustainability

29.05.2024 - 11:05 / skift.com / Zubin Saxena / Santosh Kumar / Bulbul Dhawan

Indian travelers believe that airlines and hotels have the most potential to counter environmental impacts of tourism, followed by travelers themselves and major sites and apps, according to a report by Booking.com.

The report added that travelers adopting more mindful travel choices believe that sustainable travel adds value to their trips.

“Today for Indian travelers, sustainable practices not only enhance their travel experience but also inspire them to adopt similar habits in their daily lives. There is a desire to have a positive impact, with travelers more forthcoming in exploring activities that are driven by sustainability,” said Santosh Kumar, country manager for India, Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Indonesia at Booking.com. 

As India is actively promoting tourism to various destinations, including lesser explored ones, there is also a push towards sustainability from all stakeholders. Despite this push, the efforts have a long way to go.

Hilton has signed its flagship Hilton Hotels and Resorts brand in Gurugram near Delhi. The company is developing the new-build 223-key hotel Hilton Gurugram Baani City Center with the Baani Group, and the hotel is set to open later this year. 

This marks the expansion of the hotel chain’s partnership with the Baani Group, which owns the DoubleTree by Hilton Gurgaon Baani Square. 

“Hilton is making strides to expand its presence in key gateway cities across the country,” Hilton’s senior vice president and India country head Zubin Saxena said.

The hotel chain currently has 26 operational hotels in India and more than 20 in its development pipeline. The company is set to double its footprint in the country over the next 3 to 4 years. 

In an earlier interview with Skift, Saxena said, “Between this year and the next, we will be opening a hotel every two to three months.” Hilton is currently present in 15 Indian markets and is looking to expand into about 75. 

ITC Hotels has announced the opening of Mementos by ITC Hotels, Jaipur. The property, which features 64 suites and villas in the first phase of opening, is the second to open under the Mementos brand in India. 

With this, ITC Hotels has 14 operational properties in the state of Rajasthan, including Mementos Udaipur. 

At the opening, ITC Hotels CEO Anil Chadha said that the company is on an impressive growth trajectory. It has a target of expanding its current portfolio of 130 properties to 200 hotels over the next five years. 

Budget airline Akasa Air has commenced operations from Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh. Post the inaugural flight from the city on Saturday, the airline is operating daily direct flights between Prayagraj and Mumbai. 

With this, Prayagraj has become the fourth city in Uttar Pradesh where the