Enough being said about the effects of the pandemic on the common man, I am positive and hopeful that the outbound leisure tourism will recover very fast in times to come. There are several positives that we are seeing in-market – there is a steady decline in coronavirus cases, a steady increase in flight capacity and most importantly, the COVID vaccine is expected to roll out by January in India. All these factors put together will definitely play a key role in fast-tracking the revival of international travel not just from India but also across the globe.
For the Indian customers, travel is a part of their lifestyle and not a luxury they indulge in from time to time. It is almost like a necessity. People are eagerly looking forward to be able to travel once again, reinforcing my belief that that there is huge pent up demand for leisure travel for both domestic and international destinations, which will kick-in the moment international flights start operating and countries open their borders.
As we can see already, international travel from India has started to pick up slowly and steadily within the air-bubbles created. However, I feel that with a revised set of SOPs in place, which follows the norms of social distancing, it is safe to open international travel all over the world as in the last 8 months, people have understood how to travel taking the necessary precautions and checks in place. Opening up of commercial international operations will boost the confidence of not just the travellers but also the various verticals of the travel industry, who have been suffering immensely because of the COVID pandemic. It will be an integral step towards boosting the economy.
With regards to the US market, I am glad to note that both Air India as well as United Airlines have announced new direct routes beginning December, which is very encouraging news for the people travelling on this sector. Even while things have been slow, we continue to regularly engage with the travel trade and media as the USA offers a vast variety of unique and diverse experiences that are attractive to the Indian travellers.
Going forward, there is going to be a high demand for vacations that offer unique local outdoor experiences, road trips, national parks etc. Places that are less-crowded will definitely gain an edge, however, that does not mean that urban areas will be ignored. Travellers are eager to get back to doing things they did in the past like visiting cities for nightlife, culinary experiences, arts, culture etc. Needless to say, factors such as sanitation and hygiene will continue to be important and there will be more focus on responsible and environmentally conscious travel.
We as the caretakers of outbound from India must guide the travellers to destinations that are undertaking the necessary precautions of sanitisation and social distancing. We at the travel trade need to figure out opportunities that are not just extremely appealing but also ‘safe’. With a bit of research, knowledge and ground work, doing so is completely achievable.
