VIDEO: An investor on why everything is hot right now

It might surprise some to hear that venture capital organizations are pretty buoyant at the moment when it comes to the travel sector.

Despite the sector being on its knees for the majority of the last two years, VCs are considering the industry as a market of opportunity as COVID-19 restrictions ease and consumers look to venture out once more.

"Everything is hot right now," says Raja Goel, a principal at Highgate Technology Ventures, an investment vehicle in hospitality and backer of travel fintech companies such as Uplift.

As guests want more from their travel experience, whether they are staying in a hotel or the process that got them there, there is ample reason for financial institutions to support the businesses that can improve it. 

Payments is one area, another is services that provide contactless check-in, revenue management and cloud-based tools for brands.

Sustainability initiatives are also catching the eye of investors, as well as property management systems that can connect into the peripheral elements of technology that are there to make consumers feel comfortable with the new hospitality experience.

Brands should be seeking to do more with less, Goel believes, so they should stay nimble, keep themselves well-positioned with capital resources to thrive on the upswing of the COVID-19 recovery phase.

The full interview with PhocusWire's Jill Menze during The Phocuswright Conference 2021 is included below...