July 5, 2016 TnH Global 0

OYO Signs MoU with Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board

OYO to standardize and promote homestays in Uttarakhand to develop tourism infrastructure!

India’s largest branded network of hotels, OYO, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board (UTDB). The partnership is geared to develop tourism-related hospitality ecosystem in the state. OYO will leverage its expertise in transforming and standardizing hospitality real-estate units and make local homestays better equipped to suit the need of visitors and tourists. In first phase of this alliance, OYO has already standardized 15 homestays registered with UTDB. The standardization process, will be followed by listing and marketing these properties on OYO’s well-established channels.

Commenting on this development, Abhinav Sinha, Chief Operating Officer, OYO said, “We are very proud to partner the efforts of the Uttarakhand Government in building a tourism-friendly infrastructure while sustaining local communities. The pace of our efforts is aligned towards ensuring that while infrastructure is upgraded and standardized, the local ecosystem is not disrupted. OYO has built deep expertise in standardizing amenities and guest-experience in the unbranded hotels segment. This tie-up gives us the opportunity to transfer these skills and learnings to the state of Uttarakhand.”

Shailesh Bagauli, CEO, UTDB said, “Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board is happy to partner with OYO, the leading brand of hotel-networks in the country. We are confident that OYO’s expertise in standardizing and marketing large inventories to customers in different parts of India will drive immense value to this partnership. We look forward to our joint efforts contributing to increased tourist influx and a better stay experience for visitors to Uttarakhand.”

Uttarakhand is not only a preferred destination for families and adventure-travellers, but also a focal point for pilgrims on the Char Dham Yatra. OYO-standardized homestays are located in key towns like Dehradun, Nainital, Mussoorie, Haridwar and Haldwani. Unlike typical homestays, these properties are equipped with standardized OYO amenities to provide a predictable experience to visitors. So, visitors can check-in with the assurance of flat-screen TV, free wi-fi and complimentary breakfast as well as CCTV cameras for their security.

Using the OYO app, travelers can create bookings in as little as five seconds and three taps. With a large network of 6000 hotels present across 180 cities in India, OYO also enjoys strong supply channels. It will connect homestay owners with vendors and facilitate the procurement of best in quality products at a reasonable price, making the standardization process more cost-effective.

OYO works in close collaboration with the government and industry bodies towards skills-and capacity-building in the hospitality sector. It has previously collaborated with tourism development corporations of Telangana and Kerala, as well as the Government of Andhra Pradesh and CII’s Tourism and Hospitality Skill Council for skilling of hospitality staff.