Coronavirus: Zostel allows anytime, anywhere travel packages to help its partners
Subsequent legs of the initiative will see partner ventures listing their business on Zostel platform which will enable them to sell their services on credit.
The impact of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic on travel and tourism the world over is immense. In India, industry chamber Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has called the present situation the worst crisis to ever hit the country’s tourism industry. Its estimations project both inbound and outbound tourism to sustain an 80-100 percent hit in the April-July period, while the travel sentiment is being expected to drop by 40-50 percent during the winter holiday season. In this situation, small business players who depend on the travel industry are the worst hit.
Dharamveer Singh Chouhan, Co-founder and CEO, Zostel
Against this backdrop, Gurugram-based hospitality chain Zostel has taken an initiative by offering redeemable, credit-based travel packages for new-age travel seekers at nominal prices. This means people can buy packages with Zostel and can redeem anytime and anywhere, where Zostel partners are available. This will ensure business to the travel and hospitality businesses and will support them and their ground staff, said the company. These packages include Zostel's partners such as café owners, adventure companies, alternative accommodation providers, property managers, and franchise owners, among others.
Dharamveer Singh Chouhan, Co-Founder & CEO, Zostel, kickstarted the initiative 'Travel for Tomorrow' by addressing the travel community through his open letter. In it, he not only exhorted industry players to unite in the face of the pandemic but also demonstrated how a positive transformation can be unlocked with the willing participation of the key stakeholder community which forms the barycentre of the travel and tourism universe: travellers.
“While it is true that travel and tourism is one of the worst hit sectors by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, with businesses relying on tourism to sustain themselves having come to a standstill, all is not lost yet. If all the players in the travel ecosystem rise up to the occasion and come forward to support each other, we can ensure that all of us will emerge from the incumbent crisis safe and sound,” Dharamveer said.
“In light of this fact, we aim to reach out to regional players across India. Because, although people may not realise it, the travel ecosystem is highly interconnected. Therefore, we seek to enable industry stakeholders to tap into the potential of this connected ecosystem. Doing so will not only help them to make it through the storm but also come out on the other side healthier and stronger than ever before,” he said.
“However, in accomplishing this, the central role would be that of those who have always form the lifeline of our beloved travel community: the travellers themselves. Now is the time that willing members come forward and channelise their passion for travel into ensuring the survival of service providers who depend on their love and affection for their livelihoods,” he added.
The subsequent legs of the initiative will see partner ventures listing their business on the Zostel platform which will enable them to sell their services to their consumers on credit. Consumers can then redeem the credits in the partner establishments that respond positively to the open letter and join hands with Zostel.
Edited by Javed Gaihlot
