According to an online survey conducted on 2,000 respondents, the company said YouTube’s growth trajectory in India matches the global trend.
More than 70 per cent of YouTube’s viewers in India are under 35, while 72 per cent have a college degree or a higher qualification.
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Google has termed this generation as ‘Generation C’: young, tech-savvy trendsetters who define what’s popular in content and culture. “This group thrives on 4Cs — creation, curation, community and connection,” Danielle Tiedt, V-P, marketing, YouTube, said.
“If brands create videos that Generation C loves to share, they will. If you create communities around your brand, it will join and participate,” he added.
"Operating a consumer-facing website in India no longer fits into our broader strategic focus. However, Travelocity Global continues to operate in India with our Bangalore development centre, where we employ more than 300 people who support product development and technology for our global websites," said company spokesperson Joel Frey.
Travelocity began India operations in 2007. Two years later, it acquired Travelguru, a business-to-business travel and hotel booking site. It also launched a big marketing initiative, guaranteeing customers the lowest prices for hotels and airline reservations, with a promise of free tickets if someone found a cheaper alternative.
However, Travelocity was unable to sustain itself in the face of intense competition. Last July, it sold Travelguru to rival Yatra.com; it had, however, termed the sale a strategic move.
“We created phenomenal value for Travelguru after acquiring it in 2009 and now our promoters are exiting it in line with a strategy to focus on the core business in India, that is GDS and solutions for airlines and hospitality,” Himanshu Singh had told this newspaper last July.“Sabre Holdings is committed to India. As a travel commerce company, we have the largest footprint in India and will continue to grow,.”
Said an expert on the sector: "The online travel space in India is extremly crowded and there is scope for further consolidation. Margins are wafer-thin and portals are dipping into their own pockets to offer discounts and special discounts.”
Another sector insider said Travelocity had been curtailing its online business in the segment. Last December, it sold Zuji, its online portal in Southeast Asia, for $25 million to an Australian company called Webjet. Travelocity is also losing share in the US, its main market, according to Tnooz, a website tracking popular travel portals, based on the number of hits.