Dear Readers,
International travel is picking up and how (!). The airlines ticket prices are hitting the roof and yet it is tough to find a seat at the last minute. The visa delays are causing havoc, yet a huge number of visa applications are being submitted every day and even as the outbound traveller continues to huff and puff about the “issues” he is facing while travelling out of country, the outbound travel from India, my friends, is closer than we think to the pre pandemic levels.
The Indian international traveller has evolved drastically in the past two-three years and are presently seeking experiences and not rushed holiday itineraries. Duration of stays in long-haul destinations has lengthened primarily to make the most of high airline fares. Staycations are still doing very well for short-haul destinations as most corporates and organisations continue to work remotely or in a hybrid format. And relaxed beach vacations at off the grid resorts and hotels continues to rule the charts. Indian travellers have changed, their demands have matured and gone beyond the regular mundane offerings and the experiences they now seek are varied and unique in nature.
Not just that, the Indian travellers are now adapting sustainable methods of travel and the younger generation is being mindful of their carbon footprint, resource consumption and wastage; thus, leading to generation of more itineraries that are heavy on cultural activities, local experiences and conscious means of transportation. In such a scenario, destination too have had to evolve to match the demands of the conscious traveller and come up with new peg points to attract a conscious tourist who is looking for an experiential stay.
Keeping all these points in mind, BOTT September Issues focusses on the evolution and return of international travel for the India outbound market. To understand it better, we spoke to some leading travel professionals who are marketing destinations in India, country heads and country reps to understand the evolving dynamics of Outbound Travel from India and you will find an exhaustive line-up of thoughts and interviews in the inside pages of our magazine. All this is in addition to our regular columns and updates.
Happy Reading!
- Priyanka Saxena Ray –
priyanka@bottindia.com
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