Travel Trends – Dutch Uncles

Revenge Travel Revamping the Travel Industry

Shalmoli Sarkar — Sat, 31 Jul 2021 10:35:07 +0000

Fed up with being confined in the walls of the home for over a year, Indians certainly wanted an escape from their banal life to hills, beaches and nature hikes. What held them indoors to date was the arrival of the vaccines, after which they could think of travelling. As the numbers of the second covid wave began plateauing, the tourist destinations gradually opened from the prolonged lockdowns. With vaccination drives in full swing, people took their jabs, packed their bags, and took their heels off to Manali or to a destination of their choice as a part of ‘revenge travel’.

Revenge travel is a behaviour that has recently emerged amongst the Indian tourists in the pandemic that involved overcrowding of tourist destinations. As a result of staying indoors for the longest time, the tourist spots began experiencing a huge influx of tourists, who desperately needed a vacation to get rid of their monotonous lives. According to Thomas Cook’s travel survey, 69 percent were keen to travel in 2021, 18 percent are ready to travel immediately post lockdown restrictions are lifted and 51 percent wanted to travel within 3-6 months.

What is this ‘Revenge Travel’ emerging in Indians?

The immense desire to venture out reached its peak with lockdowns that nudged people indoors. To quench the thirst of travelling Indian tourists are travelling out to explore some new remote locations nearby urban cities and also heading to small forests to breathe in some fresh air and feel connected to nature and family. As most people got bored of their daily routines, they ventured out together at the same time planning the same itinerary resulting in overcrowding.

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According to Thomas Cook’s travel survey, 69 percent were keen to travel in 2021, 18 percent are ready to travel immediately post lockdown restrictions are lifted and 51 percent wanted to travel within 3-6 months.

Revenge Travel – Good News for Travel Companies

The travel companies which are on the brink of losses and closures, the ‘revenge travel’ phenomenon is a blessing. Car rental company Avis India is experiencing a surge in commuter bookings choosing solo, in couples, and with their families. Most of the car bookings are happening in weekend gateways to nearby mountains and other drivable locations. Similarly, IntrCity SmartBus is also seeing a rise in pocket-friendly bus travels in routes like Delhi-Lucknow, Delhi-Gorakhpur, Delhi-Amritsar. It ran around 18-20 buses for 1.5 lakh travellers monthly for leisure or travel to pilgrimage centres like Manali and Tirupati.

Online travel company Cleartip, is witnessing a 10 percent rise in bookings with travel dates more than four weeks away as compared to 5 percent in 2020. MakeMyTrip is offering its travellers more flexibility and convenience while booking a train journey on the platform. It has introduced Trip Guarantee which is a facility that allows customers to upgrade their unconfirmed train ticket to opt for a flight, cab, bus and alternate train journey for a future date.

New Upcoming Travel Behaviour for Revenge Travel

Most tourists are travelling to lesser-known destinations and avoiding traditional tourist spots. Here are some of the new travel behaviours emerging:

Drivable locations
Health and wellness-themed trips to recover from mental fatigue
Spiritual trips
Private journeys for small group travels
Short trips to remote wilderness regions

What Lies Ahead for Travel companies?

With a large part of India yet to be fully vaccinated, the revenge travel behaviour showcased by tourists poses a high risk of the emergence of a third covid wave and again be a huge blow to the travel industry. However, it is anticipated that the ones who are vaccinated might opt for self-driving vehicles for travelling to nearby locations and go for short trips avoiding public transport. With self-driving cars, there will be less exposure with other individuals ensuring safety and fun. Hence, the car rental companies might experience demand. Business opportunities for the travel companies might emerge due to the upcoming festive seasons, where people would like to make advance bookings. Travel companies should offer flexibility and convenience to travellers to upgrade their ticket for a different mode of transport in case if tickets are not confirmed especially in train bookings.

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One Village at a Time, Svanir Revives Rural Economy by Empowering Dalua Village

Anju Nambiar — Wed, 14 Jul 2021 03:35:11 +0000

Imagine living in the wilderness amidst flora and fauna, away from the light pollution of cities and from crowds, safe from transmission of covid and flouting of social distancing. Isolated homestays in the heart of nature may just be the answer to the revival of the hospitality sector as well as the rural economy of India. Svanir is a start-up which is doing just that.

Who is Svanir?

Svanir is a hospitality start-up based in Bhubaneshwar, Odisha. Founded by ‘Indrani’ and ‘Soumya’, Svanir literally means ‘own home’ which is the founding principle of the start-up. Their homestay service ‘Svanir Wilderness Ecostay’ is an eco-friendly boutique homestay.

Why was this start-up conceptualised?

The start-up was conceptualised on a shared dream by its co-founders to create a living space that was close to nature. The idea quickly took shape in the form of a homestay in the outskirts of Bhubaneshwar.

Empowering the neglected village of Dalua

The start-up shares its address with the village of Dalua. Dalua is a poor and largely neglected tribal village with its inhabitants being mostly impoverished. Svanir is empowering the local community by employing their staff, especially women and training them to assume various roles in the hospitality industry like chef and even to become entrepreneurs.

Cosy eco-home hiding in the outskirts of Bhubaneswar

Their cosy eco-home hiding in the outskirts of Bhubaneswar consists of locally sourced, air-conditioned cottages, designed in traditional tribal architecture. It is aimed at giving guests the experience of living like a local in the village of Dalua along with the benefits of a homestay experience.

Their differentiator

Svanir’s main differentiator is that unlike a traditional hospitality and travel start-up, they’ve been able to retain their employees and even hire two or more women staff during the pandemic. Since they operate to fulfil an important cause and are located in an off-beat location with close to zero competing establishments in their vicinity, even a single reservation or stay booking will be beneficial for the disadvantaged staff in the premises to skill up in hospitality and earn a sustainable living.

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Svanir is empowering the local community by employing their staff, especially women and training them to assume various roles in the hospitality industry like chef and even to become entrepreneurs.

What’s in it for me?

The ‘live like local’ trend is working out well for tourism and hospitality sectors as more people realise the presence of exotic vacation destinations in their surroundings rather than in expensive foreign locations. Start-ups that are curating a local experience for travellers are providing a two-way advantage:

They are fulfilling the market demand of travellers seeking a low budget, fulfilling respite from the endless lockdowns.
They are solving a major challenge among locals in hard-to-reach, or impoverished areas by creating jobs, and supporting small business owners during these tough times.

Start-ups are relocating to hideaway locations in India to start their own cosy home or cottage getaway home for travellers. If you own land or a heritage ancestral home in an interior location abundant in nature, transforming it into a homestay is a good idea. Small towns and villages are ideal locations to set up homestays. Unlike a generic hospitality offering, a homestay is not burdened by expenses of managing a hotel. It’s a humble and sustainable service in the travel/tourism and hospitality sector that can survive the pandemic.

There is drastic change among traveller behaviour in India. People are no longer flying out of the country for exotic holidays on a whim. They prefer ‘slow travelling’, a trend for choosing small properties over bigger hotel chains for their stay. They also prefer an instant connection with the area and a local experience is the fastest way to experience it. Starting a homestay is a sustainable option for start-ups venturing into the hospitality sector. It doesn’t require bank loans to run and can be easily set up with minimal infrastructure which only adds to its charm. Homestays also harbour natural abundance which is also their key USP.

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The Numbers: Domestic Travel Industry in India 2020-2021

Aakash Sharma — Fri, 02 Jul 2021 15:49:18 +0000

India is one of the fastest-growing tourist destinations in the world. The country offers plenty for international and domestic tourists, from beaches to snow-capped mountains and the beautiful culture of various lineages, traditions, and cuisines.

However, since the outbreak of COVID-19, the tourism industry has faced the most difficult and stark challenges. Although the full consequence of the pandemic on the sector’s economy is still unclear, India’s travel and tourism industry was one of the first few industries to be hit. The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) estimates that the COVID crisis will cost the Indian tourism industry at least $2.22 billion.

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In 2020, experts assume that the Indian tourism industry shrunk by 25%, resulting in 50 million job losses.

People are Willing to Travel Despite COVID

Many people have yearned for soothing trips after subsequent lockdowns and travel restrictions. To satiate their travel desires, mountainous regions away from crowded cities are the first choice for a trip.

The Life in Pandemic report surveyed a sample of more than 800 people and found that by the end of January 2021, 56% of participants had already travelled to someplace or another, and 43% were ready to travel as soon as restrictions are lifted.

The Life in Pandemic survey included people from different professions and students between the ages of 18 to 54 living in tier I and II cities. Of those who have travelled, 82% expressed willingness to travel again. But a sense of maintaining precautions on their own instead of depending on others is prevalent among all.

Travel Revival Will take between Six Months to Two Years

A FICCI-Nelson India report from 2020 stated that the travel and tourism industry would take 6-24 months to recover from the pandemic’s destruction. The report is based on the figures of 248 travel agents and hoteliers in 24 cities in India. It stressed the need for fundamental government support, including policies and financial support, to deal with industry tensions exacerbated by COVID-induced lockdowns.

Business for travel companies and agencies has also declined sharply due to technology and digital platforms replacing the traditional channels of travel planning. Research by FICCI and Nelson India suggests that the government needs to partner with the industry to boost a digital shift and get them acquainted with the latest technologies. This will build confidence in businesses, and the Indian tourism products will actively function as businesses revive.

Millennials are a Key Demographic in Reviving India’s Travel Sector

Given their appetite for travel and adventure, millennials are likely to be the main drivers of India’s travel sector’s recovery after the pandemic. According to Business of Travel Trade (BOTT) Travel Sentiment Tracker, a survey conducted in September 2020 showed that 71% of those polled said once the government travel lifted restrictions, they would willingly explore India’s tourism hubs.

The online survey, conducted in September 2020 and covering over 6,000 millennials, showed that millennials also have numerous travel destinations on their lists to spend their vacations. In addition, around 41% of those surveyed said they would like to spend Rs 1-2 lakh on their holidays, followed by 30 percent of them who have a budget of Rs 50,000-Rs 1 lakh. Such figures indicate a promising revival strategy for the sector soon.

Government Efforts in Reviving the Travel Industry

Along with a range of Central government’s efforts, most primarily the ‘Dekho Apna Desh’ campaign, numerous states are also working towards a move to normalcy. The Uttar Pradesh government has recently opened the state’s most iconic tourism hub – the Taj Mahal – on June 16 after a two-month gap. Such moves will help the distressed business, and people’s livelihoods depend directly on the travel and tourism sector.

How can Businesses Take Advantage of People’s Growing Urges to Travel?

With the ongoing vaccination drive, Indians have gained confidence, expressing an inclination to travel for various purposes, including visits to relatives, vacations, or travelling for work at destinations with a low impact of COVID-19. This indicates a rebound in the travel segment, although domestic, which is inching towards pre-COVID stages.

Businesses of all scales in the travel industry need to prepare themselves in a renewed way to give comfort and safety to customers. Most importantly, to gain traction in their business, be it a transport service or long-range cab provider, hygiene promotion is key. Businesses must give destination level hygiene and adhere to safety assessment processes. Small companies operating in this segment must also focus on using digital tools and expanding social media outreach to reach more customers.

Eventually, travel will resume as mass vaccination drives immunise a majority of Indians. The industry needs to be prepared to cater to the demands of people and brace their revival process.

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