Since the beginning of recorded history, the travel and hospitality industries have faced challenges and a part of these challenges exist even today. Travel technology has changed over the years driven primarily by the stakeholders most affected by the use of the technology. According to the ancient analytics, travel industry has seen four distinct stages dating from the 1400s to the present day. These stages are Supply creation, Supply management, Sales and distribution and advanced discovery.

The very first recorded incident of overbooking and the subsequent denial of service to a guest can be attributed to the case of the pregnant woman and her husband who, after a long journey, were forced to look for alternative accommodation because the inn at which they wished to stay was already full. The wife gave birth to their child in the stable next door, and the rest is history. Yes, the season too has numerous examples of technology and its evolution from time immemorial. Over the past 20 years, many facets of the hotel industry have shifted to adapt to new technology and changing consumer behaviour, which have in turn changed how hoteliers conduct business.

In India, the lodging industry has changed in several key areas over the past decades and many of these changes have helped hoteliers to enhance their products, attract more guests and create opportunities for expansion.

India is the most digitally advanced traveller nation. Given its thriving online travel agency, hospitality and airline sectors combined with extensive smartphone use, this is not surprising. It ranks first in the league table of countries surveyed, ahead of its Asia Pacific counterparts, China and Indonesia. We needed to give the credit to few of those technology players who have been making sure that this industry gets its due share of technology makeover every now and then.