Experiential tours in demand
Regular holidays are evolving into experiences and bringing about this change is Vedic Walks.
The idea of holidaying is undergoing a subtle change and Vedic Walks, a division of Active Internationals Travel Network is helping bring this about by offering bespoke and experiential tours to the inbound traffic. Speaking about the gradual change is Anirudh Shukla, Founder and Director, Vedic Walks, who says, “Talking about Rajasthan, travellers are now looking for experiences beyond forts and palaces. Experiences that involve human interaction be it with an artist for a workshop or a home cook for cooking lessons.”
The UK, US, Spain and France are his biggest source markets. But the company has seen growth in experiential travellers from Brazil, Australia and New Zealand in the past two years. “Nevertheless, inbound tour operators in India remain our biggest market for experiential tours. We service the B2B market as well and with pride. Our division, Vedic Walks, has been developing bespoke tours and experiences for top inbound travel DMCs in India. We go a step ahead and offer ‘white label’ services to our B2B partners to keep their brand promise,” Shukla adds.
Until now, Vedic Walks had been working as an experiential travel partner in Rajasthan for high-end luxury tour operators in India. But it believes the time has come when it should also offer ground-handling services which generally include transport, guide and assistance. Shukla says, “The biggest advantage for our partners is that they will not have to go back and forth for developing new products and getting product updates.”
Small groups now look for indigenous experiences, less time for shopping and more for cultural exchanges and option for boutique hotels. “So, if you are an inbound travel company and still do not have a service provider for experiential tours, you need to either revisit your product or change your market. Every time you propose a generic travel product, it is as good as an opportunity lost,” he says.