Chess Legend Viswanathan Anand Partners with The Hostel Co. to Inspire Young India to Travel, Explore and Experience More

Bengaluru, December 18, 2025: The Hostel Co (thehostelco.com), the largest Indian ‘Backpacker Hostel OTA’ (Backpacker Hostel Booking Platform) with 200+ backpacker hostels across India, today announced that Viswanathan Anand, India’s first Chess Grandmaster and former World No. 1, has joined the company as its official brand ambassador.

The partnership marks a major step in The Hostel Co’s (www.thehostelco.com) mission to formalize and drive awareness about India’s rapidly expanding backpacker hostel ecosystem – a category that has grown manifold in the last four years but still lacks structured, safety-verified backpacker hostel platforms.

Just as Vishwanathan Anand created a new paradigm in chess, The Hostel Co (www.thehostelco.com) aims to take India’s backpacker hostel ecosystem to the next level with verified stays, travel groups for those travelling to the location, and lowest prices (starting from Rs.250/-).

Palash Goel, Founder & CEO, The Hostel Co (www.thehostelco.com) said, “While Vishy Sir may not be the brand’s core consumer persona, he symbolizes the modern Indian millennial: world-class talent, deeply focused at work, but unafraid to step out, let go, and go wild. With Vishwanathan Anand sir we have been able to capture these moments and create ads that bring out this side of him.”

Palash further adds that, “This association with Viswanathan Anand sir is the first brand partnership of this scale in the Backpacker Hostel Industry that has largely till date been dominated by international players. The Hostel Co aims to bring trust and drive new customers to this mode of travel disrupting the international duopoly in the segment.” 

On this occasion, Viswanathan Anand added, “Travel has broadened my perspective, on and off the chessboard. I’m excited to partner with The Hostel Co.(www.thehostelco.com), a brand that wants every Indian to experience the India – both its geography and its people – safely, affordably and while having loads of fun.”

Today, Backpacker hostel travel is no longer a niche and The Hostel Co (www.thehostelco.com). intends to build trust, transparency and structure, positioning the category as a legitimate and reliable pillar of Indian tourism. With more than 200 backpacker hostels with varied experience stays such as surf hostels, party hostels, musical ashrams across the top tourist destinations of India – Goa, Rishikesh, Pondicherry, Udaipur, Varkala, Manali, Jibhi, Bir, Kasol, Shangarh and many more the Backpacker hostel Industry is looking at a major disruption.