* The OYO app will feature a dedicated section on state-wise travel guidelines and provide access to COVID-19 testing
As the country opens up slowly, Indians are increasingly aspiring to step out and explore new destinations that are closer to home or a short drive away. With the country’s intent to travel strengthening, OYO’s consumer use cases showcase that approximately 80% of consumers planning to travel are searching for sanitised stays, while 46% seek regulation-related information during their decision-making process.
Understanding this specific consumer concern, to make the decision-making process informative and seamless, OYO Hotels & Homes, the world’s leading hospitality chain has launched a one-stop solution for all travel-related assistance on the OYO app in India. This dedicated section gives users access to comprehensive state-wise travel guidelines including E- Pass/Entry registration requirement, visibility to restrictions while booking a hotel, and quarantine requirements.
Taking this a step further, OYO will also provide COVID-19 testing assistance to consumers on its app, in partnership with SRL Diagnostics, 1mg, and Indus Health Plus who will enable tests through ICMR approved pathology labs. This will ensure complete ease of mind to consumers while planning their future travels.
Once the consumer books an OYO hotel or home for a destination that mandates the traveller to carry a COVID-19 Negative Certificate, they will receive an auto-call back option from a trusted pathology lab for the COVID-19 test.
Commenting on the developments, Rohit Kapoor, CEO, India & South Asia, OYO said, “As they say, there’s no rainbow without a little rain. We at OYO, truly believe in this philosophy, and tough days do help us emerge stronger. Throughout the pandemic, we’ve worked round the clock to lay the groundwork to make OYO the consumer’s first choice when they think about travelling again, safely. Our senior leaders have personally spoken with nearly 2000+ consumers to understand their aspirations and worries, their concerns, and their requirements. We take feedback from our consumers very seriously and build solutions to ensure their experience is nothing short of pleasant. We hope with our efforts to ensure a seamless and informative planning process for consumers looking to travel safely, we can contribute to their journeys from the very beginning, and in turn, contribute to the robust return of India’s tourism ecosystem.”
He added, “02nd October long weekend is just around the corner and we believe our partnership with trusted pathology labs like SRL Diagnostics, Indus Health Plus and 1mg will bring a sense of ease to our customers who are planning their travels. On that note, safe travels everyone!”
Commenting on the association with OYO, Mr. Anand K, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), SRL Diagnostics said, “We are delighted to partner with OYO to enable people to travel safely and with peace of mind. With the country gradually opening up and the government allowing further relaxation in interstate travel, we advise the people of our country to follow preventive measures and plan their trip in a manner that reduces the risk of exposure to Covid-19. Following COVID-19 testing protocols remains an imperative step in this direction and we aim to contribute and make the journey safer for the people.”
Commenting on the partnership with OYO, Mr. Amol Naikawadi, Joint Managing Director, Indus Health Plus said, “Our organization has always put its best foot forward when it comes to prevention. With this partnership, we are creating a convenient platform for people to plan their travel in a safe and healthy manner. As the rules for interstate travel become more relaxed, the travel will become more frequent. Therefore, we advise travellers to follow proper preventive measures related to COVID-19 testing while planning their trip.”
Mr. Ankur Gigras, Vice President Diagnostics at 1mg shares, “1mg’s vision has always been to make affordable healthcare available at a customer’s doorstep. We are excited to partner with OYO and bring our superlative technology-led diagnostics service to customers looking to travel. Using 1mg’s services customers can connect with doctors easily, get tested at home and receive their reports online thus being able to plan their travel while staying informed and safe at all times.
Given the reality around COVID-19, leisure travel took a backseat to business or essential travel in the past couple of months, leaving little room for recovery of predominantly tourist destinations. However, on the brighter side, with each unlocking phase and the reopening of states, there’s a positive upswing for consumers aspiring to travel in the next three months. As per OYO’s consumer use cases, 56% of consumers will be travelling for leisure while 43% would travel for business. When asked about their next travel destination, most respondents opted for Kerala, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Rajasthan. Amongst these, 45% of leisure travelers would prefer hill stations like Shimla, Mussoorie while the remaining 55% of leisure travelers would prefer non-hill station destinations like Goa, Agra, and Jaipur.
Recently, OYO crossed the 50 million app downloads mark, with India leading with the most downloads followed by Indonesia, Malaysia, the USA, and Brazil. Across India, the top five cities with the most downloads include New Delhi, Pune, Kolkata, Lucknow and Hyderabad. Interestingly, in 2020, on average, the company witnessed 32 app installs per minute.
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