TRADESPEAK
Canada is a great destination and its one of the fastest growing destinations for outbound in India. We were not expecting so many people at this workshop. It is a reflection of the way Destination Canada is promoting the destination in India. All segments – Groups, MICE and FITs – are showing interest in Canada.
Canada is mostly FIT and we see a marked increase in the number of self-drives to Canada. They are covering the East as well as the West Coast. We are also trying to do some off-beat itineraries since we cater to evolved FITs. We have seen an uptake in terms of better hotels, soft adventure and experiential travel.
Canada is a fabulous destination. In 2017, we are trying to take larger groups to Canada. Hopefully, the visas will be made easy. We have heard the High Commission of Canada give a presentation to us on visas which was very helpful. We cater to doctor groups and get a lot of queries for Canada from them, specially the cruise from Vancouver to Alaska.
Most travellers who visit the US almost always incorporate Canada. So what we are telling our clients is to visit Canada by itself for 15-20 days since it has a lot of things to offer. I can already see a big shift and those who have travelled to the US are now looking for something new and exciting and they find it in Canada. It is a gorgeous destination.
The response from the trade has been very good. We have a huge range of packages available that cater to everyone. Canada is a winter wonderland and there is an entire experience that can be created on Christmas in Canada. The country has finally established itself as a standalone destination and the response we are getting is very encouraging.
Every year we are growing more than 15 per cent because of the India market. We find that people tend to go on leisure trips to Western Canada, and they also combine it with the cruise in and out of Vancouver. We have had some incentive trips and that has been mostly to Eastern Canada. We will look at doing something for British Columbia from this October onwards.
The main objective of these roadshows is to get Indians for longer stays to Canada with more frequency and spend more here. In December, we want to promote city life, Christmas and shopping. From January to June, 2016, we have growth of 19 per cent in terms of arrivals from India.
Canada, along with the US, is the 'promised land' for Indians – not just for immigration but also for rest and recreation.
Canada is one of the best destinations one can get when they want to go for an exclusive holiday – right from a family vacation to a honeymoon, it has it all. You need to profile a client well before you suggest it because when it comes to Canada, the client is looking for a longer stay there and a lot to do. We always plan a minimum of 12-15 days package for Canada. Sapneal Rao CEO SSR Holidays