Shifting Goalposts!
The post-COVID outbound market in India has sprung many surprises and some notable shifts and changes. Today, there is a growing tribe of travellers willing to travel at whatever cost to their bucket list of aspirational destinations. TTJ spoke to some dynamic industry players to understand how 2023 was for companies and what is new for 2024.
Major Shifts and Changes
Aspirational and experiential travel are ruling the roost today. The traveller has now evolved and is more willing to explore newer destinations and create experiences and memories rather than just travel for the sake of a vacation. They are now opting for longer and unique itineraries that offer the real essence of a destination. Pankaj Nagpal, Managing Director, Travstarz Global Group, explains, "Shopping, which used to be a very important factor for the Indian traveller, has now taken a back seat. Travellers today prefer to spend on better hotels, food, and the distinct experiences that a destination has to offer. We have seen this new trend even with senior citizens who are now keen travellers looking to enjoy their golden years.”
Tejbir Anand, Founder, and Managing Director, Holiday Moods Adventures, elaborates, "Earlier, not many Indians were heard travelling to places like Antarctica and Greenland, but now every year there are over a hundred passengers visiting these destinations. Destination weddings overseas are also a great new trend that has caught up, with a lot of celebrities leading the way. Rohit Shorey, Founder and CEO, Kazin DMC, also added, “There has been a growing interest in offbeat and experiential destinations with an increased inclination towards wellness and adventure tourism. The choice of destinations that we represent and their proximity to India, combined with limited visa hassles, appeal to the Indian traveller, enhancing business for these countries.”
The Indian outbound industry is all set to grow year on year despite several roadblocks. Ravi Gosain, MD, Saffron World B.V., explains, “We have seen many new outbound travellers from smaller cities. One of the major changes I observed was their well-researched knowledge about the destinations, and this helps travel agents and tour operators finalise bookings much faster since they don’t have to go into detail explaining the usual things about travelling or the destination. Secondly, price-wise, overall travellers have accepted the increase in travel costs.”
Challenges and Strategies
High aviation fuel costs resulted in inflated airfares, prolonged and new conflict zones, and multiple visa issues. Staffing issues continued to hound the industry all through 2023; hopefully, things finally appear to be changing for the better. However, the resilient industry stakeholders tried their best to generate business and open new markets and destinations, and their efforts did yield positive results. On this, Ravi Gosain says, “Despite the increasing demand for outbound travel, we did face stiff challenges in getting inventory on desired flights and hotels, and most of the time, we had to work hard to find alternative solutions available, which added to our workload. Abnormally high pricing during certain periods and erratic visa situations were some of the issues with which we fought daily for the smooth functioning of our businesses.”
One of the biggest challenges for each organisation after coming out of the COVID era was team building. Many companies had laid off their employees to survive the uncertain years of COVID, and getting the team back in place was the biggest priority. Tejbir thankfully did not face the problem of restructuring his team; as he explains, “We did not let go of any employee in our