Pathfinders aggressive on outbound
With India estimated to account for over 50mn outbound travellers by 2020, the company believes there is big untapped potential in the Indian market…
Pathfinders
Destinations is investing heavily in its own office, sales force and technology in India, to tap the rapidly growing outbound market from the country. Ashley Monteiro, Managing Director, Pathfinders Destinations said, “India is one of the fastest-growing outbound travel markets in the world. The UNWTO has predicted that by 2020, India will account for 50 million outbound tourists. I believe that the Far East will continue to be the most popular, because of prices and logistics. According to a report on the tourism industry, India ‘remains a largely untapped travel market with, by far, the lowest travel penetration in the major Asia Pacific economies’. Needless to say, this points towards an enormous potential in the market.”
Speaking on the outbound travel season this year, Monteiro observed, “It has been an ‘FIT’ season, and not a ‘groups’ season. So companies like Pathfinders, that do FIT, thrived. But for most Indian tour operators, the season has been weaker compared to 2012.”
Monteiro also said that the most popular destinations this season have been Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia, with Dubai and Abu Dhabi becoming popular as well due to cheaper airfares from Etihad and Emirates.
Monteiro also opined that the impact of the depreciation of the rupee would be felt from July onwards. He said, “I am predicting a time frame of three months for Indians to get used to the falling value of the rupee.”