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15 January, 2002: IndiaMART.com, looking at the highly encouraging performance of its online travel section and demand from its clients in the travel industry in the times of recession, has launched an independent travel portal showcasing Indian Tourism- http://www.indiantravelportal.com. The travel portal by IndiaMART, already a winner of the 8th Britannica (BIG) Award for Excellence on the Web and rated as the topmost Indian travel site by bestindiansites.com, has thus become the largest single online conglomerate of travel agents, tour operators, hotels and other affiliated services operating in the Indian travel industry, as well as the most comprehensive online information base on Indian tourism.
“Unlike a single operator’s website/portal, IndianTravelPortal.com offers tourists a wider choice from a host of member hotels and service providers at competitive prices while bringing in more business opportunities for the tourism industry at the same time, making it the only portal, in its true sense, dedicated to the Indian travel industry”, says Mr Dinesh Agarwal, CEO – IndiaMART.com, differentiating IndianTravelPortal from existing Indian online travel services/websites.
Indiantravelportal.com Profile:
- Destination info: More than 6000 web-pages of travel information on all cities and states in India, as well as over 500 recommended destinations on basis of tourist Interest. Offers comprehensive information on how to get there, climate, pictures, regional languages, places to visit, monuments, historical importance, best time to visit and other details of tourist interest.
- Hotels Directory: Covering over 2500 hotels across India with property information and free online reservation query facility.
- Travel Agents & Tour Operators Directory: Over 3200 agents, 400 itineraries/ catalogs from multiple service providers offering wider choice and competitive prices, with free online query facility.
- Utilities: Online Discussion Board, City Whether Chart, Railway/Air Timetable, Road Maps, Currency Converters, Distance Calculator etc.
- Special Sections: Eco-friendly tourism, health & emergency tips, customs information, legal briefs and more…
- Dynamic Design: offers novelty to the visitor on each visit, easy navigation, fast downloading, compatible to most browsers/screen settings.
The portal has attracted more than 1 million page-views generating over 30,000 reservation/tour enquiries every month during its pre-launch phase. The online traffic comprises of 60% Indian and 40% foreign visitors.
Revenue Streams:
IndiaMART’s Indiantravelportal.com, which will operate as an independent business unit, plans to break-even within its first year of launch. With over Rs 25 lakhs of advertising commitments already in place, the portal’s revenue streams include catalog development for members, online advertising & sponsorships, and revenues from the forthcoming Online Hotel Reservation System (OHRS). OHRS, an in-house developed software, will allow member sites to offer real-time room rates for a range of hotels with instant booking and confirmation facility through online payment, driving in two pronged revenues from software installation and commission on reservation.
“During last five years, IndiaMART.com has been prominent in two core segments – B2B and online travel. As s strategic decision we have segregated our travel related operations that are mainly B2C in nature and cater to a large potential online market, from the rest of IndiaMART operations that cater primarily to the B2B segment. This will lead to a more focused approach and streamlined operations leading into better results for both visitors and clients”, adds Dinesh on the launch of the portal.
Recognitions & Reviews:
“Winner of the 8th Britannica’s ‘BIG’ award for Excellence on the Web in the travel segment”
– Britannica.co.in
“Looking at the current market scenario, and the way Internet is being used for travel related information and service globally, the Indian Travel industry can surely benefit from a level online marketplace. IndianTravelportal.com has brought together Indian travel service-providers at a single online platform, that will not only offer more choice to the customers but will also nurture a fair marketplace for the otherwise skeptical inbound tourists.”
– Mr. Vinay Maheshwari (Director – Services International); Member, IATO
“IndianTravelPortal.com seems to have well understood what the travel enthusiasts look for on the Internet. The presentation of commercial information gels so well with the theme of the portal that it actually helps both the travel service providers as well as the customers at large.”
– Mr Ravi Luthra (Director – Landmark Tours & Travels Pvt. Ltd.); EC Member, ADTOI
“IndiaMART’s travel section, as I remember, has been there since 1998, when it was referred to me by a friend in Florida. I was surprised to see the kind of travel information and database it offered even at that time. A dedicated portal that will operate independently will certainly benefit the community of global tourists and Indian travel businesses it has built over the years.”
– Mr G.C. Verma, Editor- Tourism & Wildlife