Safety, security, and hygiene to dominate all travel trends
Even though the demand for travel has started, it is pocket wise. Recovery is bound to happen but it will take its own course considering the ups and down in the nature of this pandemic. Guldeep Singh Sahni, Managing Director, Weldon Tours & Travels and former President OTOAI, shares his views with TTJ.
The second wave has definitely delayed the recovery path, but people are no more panicking. Safety measures and personal hygiene are becoming part of day-to-day life. Well experienced people have started travelling to self-drive destinations and also to countries which do not have many restrictions yet have hygiene and cleanliness as the top priority.
“The vaccine news has definitely raised hopes, but we still have to wait and watch. If the results are positive, there will be no looking back. Travel companies will have to be ready to recommend hotels, resorts, optional tours, etc which are adhering to standard hygiene SOPs. Surely, all tour operators are looking forward to it,” mentions Sahni.
Looking at the nature of the pandemic where cases tend to fluctuate, it has become more important to reassure travellers. “First of all, travel consultant’s knowledge of places and hotels they recommend will come handy here. Next, we will have to be confident that we are sending our customers to a safe place. Knowledge of standard SoPs will be the winning game, as this will be the major concern of the travellers. A list of recommendations handing out along with itineraries will become a norm. Asking customers to carry their own sanitizers and masks in abundance will be advisable,” shares Sahni.
Sahni also adds, “IT companies which understand the financial constraints of medium to small companies will bring a revolution in the industry as the millennials are first going to research about the travel consultants before they start working with them. The relationship between travel companies and IT companies is going to flourish. Travel companies are going to invest largely in technology.”
No one company or no one player in the market can beat this kind of pandemic. To support recovery, the government has a big role to pay. “I fail to understand why the Govt. of India does not see the employment and taxes that tourism companies are generating. A huge financial package to revive the industry will bring in large investments, generate employment, and will impact the GDP in a big way,” assures Sahni.