The product that won this accolade – iXiGO Trip Planner – is just a 10-month-old product that has redefined how travel planning and research can be undertaken by travelers.
NEW DELHI – iXiGO.com, India’s leading travel planning & search website, has been voted as the Product of the Year 2013, as a part of the consumer research undertaken by AC Nielsen for Product of the Year. Over 18,000 consumers voted for the idea of innovation to determine the category winners for year 2013. iXiGO.com emerged the topper within its category of Travel & Holiday Planner/Advisor. There were 34 categories in all. This award comes close on the heels of winning ‘Travel Site of the Year’ in mid-February at the WAT Awards.
Speaking at the Product of the Year awards ceremony, Aloke Bajpai, CEO & Co-Founder, iXiGO.com said, “Every product we’ve launched at iXiGO addresses a conspicuous pain point for travelers in India, whether it is our metasearch engine for hotels, flights, buses, etc. or the more recent Trip Planner. Our goal is to simplify travel planning and decision making for travelers. Winning Product of the Year, voted by consumers themselves, is the most satisfying and delightful feeling, as it actually testifies that our products have been able to serve their purpose well!”
The product that won this accolade – iXiGO Trip Planner – is just a 10-month-old product that has redefined how travel planning and research can be undertaken by travelers. This product curates and creates unique information on over 500+ destinations in India and across the world. It covers every possible aspect of trip planning, starting with destination information, how to reach, where to stay & eat, what to see & do, weather information and important traveller tips. The website also provides interesting & relevant information on things to do & see on the way while travelling by road, anywhere in India. The unique aspect of iXiGO Trip Planner is its depth of information across various categories or points of interest. A sample query of “beaches in Goa” shows pictures and locations of over 50 beaches, “restaurants in Kerala” has over 1600 eateries across Kerala, whereas “monuments in Delhi” lists over 120 monuments in the capital. Each point of interest page further showcases in-depth information about accessibility, timings, fees, what to see and more.
iXiGO’s organic growth has been supported by great mobile and web-based products. Talking about iXiGO’s future plans, Saurabh Srivastava, VP, Product & Marketing Strategy at iXiGO.com mentioned, “We strongly believe that great products do not require huge marketing spends behind them to be successful. However, once an awesome innovation reaches a critical mass of early-adopters, we need to ensure that we create an everlasting brand that reinforces the values of the company and helps build mass awareness. This is where we will focus our marketing efforts in coming months. Also, our plan is to come up with some very exciting travel products on both web & mobile in the coming months making iXiGO synonymous to Travel.”
Charulata Ravi Kumar, CEO, Product of the Year, India quoted, “Product of the Year is constantly seeking out innovations that change the market in a significant way. In India, the service industry is churning out many new ideas that are relevant and unique. iXiGO’s selection by the jury and its Voting as the Product of the Year 2013 by thousands of consumers is testimony to the power of its innovation based on well thought through consumer insights.”
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
