A holiday to the picturesque valley of Leh this summer might be easier and cheaper with the launching of special charter flights to Ladakh tomorrow.
Touted as the first of its kind holiday charter flight for the domestic market, the initiative by travel agency MakeMyTrip.com includes a tour package to exotic destinations like Nubra valley, Pangong Tso lake and Khardungla pass.
"We are launching it as a travel package to Leh and Ladakh which is flight inclusive and is yet very competitively priced. The cost will be between Rs 25,000 and 30,000 per person. The flights will operate from Delhi every Sunday starting tomorrow, initially for a period of 10 consecutive Sundays," MakeMyTrip Chief Marketing Officer Mohit Gupta said.
The flights are in addition to the existing scheduled flights that offer daily departures into Leh.
SOURCE: PTI News
Date - May 8, 2010
Location - New Delhi
Monday, May 10, 2010
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Tourists flock to Kufri in Himachal to beat the heat
As the mercury rises across northern India, Kufri in Shimla is attracting lots of tourists.
The climate of Kufri is providing much-needed relief to many tourists who leave behind temperatures in mid to high 40s.
"I am from Ahmedabad, the temperature is 47 degree Celsius and here the temperature is very low and here we are enjoying the low temperature and the beauty of hills. The weather is very nice here," said Prateek, a tourist.
Locals involved in the tourism business say that this tourist rush indicates a good season for them this summer.
"As the summer is going up, tourists are rushing to Kufri. We are having a good business these days. As the mercury will rise in May and June, this rush will increase more. This is good for the hundreds of local youth involved in horse-riding business here," said Shiv Singh, who arranges horse-riding trips for tourists.
From Shimla and Kufri, tourists also move to other tourist destinations in Himachal Pradesh like Manali and Dalhousie.
The maximum temperature in most hill stations of Himachal Pradesh varies from 24 to 27 degree Celsius. (ANI)
The climate of Kufri is providing much-needed relief to many tourists who leave behind temperatures in mid to high 40s.
"I am from Ahmedabad, the temperature is 47 degree Celsius and here the temperature is very low and here we are enjoying the low temperature and the beauty of hills. The weather is very nice here," said Prateek, a tourist.
Locals involved in the tourism business say that this tourist rush indicates a good season for them this summer.
"As the summer is going up, tourists are rushing to Kufri. We are having a good business these days. As the mercury will rise in May and June, this rush will increase more. This is good for the hundreds of local youth involved in horse-riding business here," said Shiv Singh, who arranges horse-riding trips for tourists.
From Shimla and Kufri, tourists also move to other tourist destinations in Himachal Pradesh like Manali and Dalhousie.
The maximum temperature in most hill stations of Himachal Pradesh varies from 24 to 27 degree Celsius. (ANI)
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Travel Gains Currency on Rising Rupee
A strong rupee has made international holidays cheaper by around 10 per cent. Enjoy it...
Summer holidays have become cheaper. Last year, a 17-day European tour was costing Rs 209,000. This year, the package is going for Rs 190,000, costing by 10 per cent less. Similarly, a 16-day US tour package costing Rs 242,000 is cheaper by 7.4 per cent.
In the past year, the rupee has been strengthening against major currencies such as the US dollar, the euro and the British pound. A year ago, the exchange rate for the dollar was Rs 49.67. At present, it is Rs 44.44, a rise of 10.52 per cent. Similarly, the rupee has appreciated 10.47 per cent against the Chinese renminbi, 10.67 per cent against the Hong Kong dollar, 8.43 per cent against the euro and 7.96 per cent against the pound.
The strengthening of the rupee against the dollar is a key reason. Many currencies, such as the Hong Kong dollar, the Saudi rial and the UAE dirham are pegged to the dollar. When the dollar depreciates, so do these currencies.
No wonder outbound travellers are looking at longer destinations. "Due to the strong rupee, we are seeing an increased interest in long-haul destinations like Europe and the US," said Anand Kandadai, vice-president, outbound tours, Makemytrip.com.
A typical long-haul destination is one in which the air-ticket cost is around 30 per cent of the total expenses. Examples of such destinations are the US, Europe, Australia and Mauritius. Kandadai said though there had been an increase in air fares by around 5 per cent compared to last year, as fuel prices had risen, a traveller could easily save an additional 10-12 per cent due to reduction in hotel and other costs.
The top five destinations: The destinations that have benefited the most from the currency appreciation are the US, Europe, Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia. "If one goes by the number of bookings at the start of the season, there has been an increase of 20 per cent for Europe," said Kandadai.
Most tour operators take a portion of the money in the rupee. The major chunk is pegged to the US dollar, the euro, the pound or the Australian dollar, though the payment is in rupees. Take the example of an African package called African Grandeur. The 15-day tour is for Rs 79,000 and $2,650 (Rs 117,766 at an exchange rate of $1=Rs 44.44). This helps operators deal with currency fluctuations.
While exchange rates are one big factor, a person also needs to consider what the rupee can buy in the destination he is visiting. If the dollar has weakened against the rupee but inflation is high in the US, exchange rate gains will be wiped out.
Other destinations: That's not all. Saurabh Jaiswal, a Nagpur-based businessman who travels frequently to Europe for work, is planning to take his family to Greece during the summer vacation. "During my recent visit, I discovered that hotel rooms are available at huge discounts. In addition, the rise of the rupee against the euro saves me quite a sum," Jaiswal said.
With traditional tourists from the US or Europe cutting down on international travel due to the economic crisis of 2008 and 2009, many destinations such as Singapore and Malaysia have become cheaper this year. A seven-day package to Singapore and Malaysia is 20 per cent less this year as compared to last year.
Travel advice: If a foreign destination is on your mind, travel advisors say you should rush to do the booking. "The exchange rate benefit is available for visitors booking their travel at least a month in advance. Else, air fare and last-minute hotel bookings can nullify the gains," said Veena Patil, managing director, Kesari Tours.
SOURCE: Business Standard
By Tinesh Bhasin
Date - April 16, 2010
Location - Mumbai
Summer holidays have become cheaper. Last year, a 17-day European tour was costing Rs 209,000. This year, the package is going for Rs 190,000, costing by 10 per cent less. Similarly, a 16-day US tour package costing Rs 242,000 is cheaper by 7.4 per cent.
In the past year, the rupee has been strengthening against major currencies such as the US dollar, the euro and the British pound. A year ago, the exchange rate for the dollar was Rs 49.67. At present, it is Rs 44.44, a rise of 10.52 per cent. Similarly, the rupee has appreciated 10.47 per cent against the Chinese renminbi, 10.67 per cent against the Hong Kong dollar, 8.43 per cent against the euro and 7.96 per cent against the pound.
The strengthening of the rupee against the dollar is a key reason. Many currencies, such as the Hong Kong dollar, the Saudi rial and the UAE dirham are pegged to the dollar. When the dollar depreciates, so do these currencies.
No wonder outbound travellers are looking at longer destinations. "Due to the strong rupee, we are seeing an increased interest in long-haul destinations like Europe and the US," said Anand Kandadai, vice-president, outbound tours, Makemytrip.com.
A typical long-haul destination is one in which the air-ticket cost is around 30 per cent of the total expenses. Examples of such destinations are the US, Europe, Australia and Mauritius. Kandadai said though there had been an increase in air fares by around 5 per cent compared to last year, as fuel prices had risen, a traveller could easily save an additional 10-12 per cent due to reduction in hotel and other costs.
The top five destinations: The destinations that have benefited the most from the currency appreciation are the US, Europe, Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia. "If one goes by the number of bookings at the start of the season, there has been an increase of 20 per cent for Europe," said Kandadai.
Most tour operators take a portion of the money in the rupee. The major chunk is pegged to the US dollar, the euro, the pound or the Australian dollar, though the payment is in rupees. Take the example of an African package called African Grandeur. The 15-day tour is for Rs 79,000 and $2,650 (Rs 117,766 at an exchange rate of $1=Rs 44.44). This helps operators deal with currency fluctuations.
While exchange rates are one big factor, a person also needs to consider what the rupee can buy in the destination he is visiting. If the dollar has weakened against the rupee but inflation is high in the US, exchange rate gains will be wiped out.
Other destinations: That's not all. Saurabh Jaiswal, a Nagpur-based businessman who travels frequently to Europe for work, is planning to take his family to Greece during the summer vacation. "During my recent visit, I discovered that hotel rooms are available at huge discounts. In addition, the rise of the rupee against the euro saves me quite a sum," Jaiswal said.
With traditional tourists from the US or Europe cutting down on international travel due to the economic crisis of 2008 and 2009, many destinations such as Singapore and Malaysia have become cheaper this year. A seven-day package to Singapore and Malaysia is 20 per cent less this year as compared to last year.
Travel advice: If a foreign destination is on your mind, travel advisors say you should rush to do the booking. "The exchange rate benefit is available for visitors booking their travel at least a month in advance. Else, air fare and last-minute hotel bookings can nullify the gains," said Veena Patil, managing director, Kesari Tours.
SOURCE: Business Standard
By Tinesh Bhasin
Date - April 16, 2010
Location - Mumbai
Monday, April 12, 2010
Going on a summer holiday?
Travel loans are easily available, affordable to help you and your family unwind.
Summer vacations are fast approaching and tour operators are leaving no stones unturned to advertise attractive tour packages for various domestic and foreign destinations. There are tour packages for every pocket. Many must have already planned their vacation. But if you are not taking a break due to budget constraints, here's how you can quickly plan a vacation -
Remember, when planning a vacation, do not do away with funds saved for meeting unforeseen expenses.
Work out your budget, first and then evaluate how much extra funds you have to help sponsoring the holiday. If you cannot spare enough from the savings and you still owe a holiday to your kids, a travel loan can rescue you.
Typically, a travel loan is nothing but a personal loan. But with increased awareness and marketing by the travel sector, many banks now a days, offer special travel loans. Some of these special schemes are - State Bank of India's Easy Travel Loan, Bank of India's Star Holiday Loan Scheme and Bank of Baroda's Desh Videsh Yatra Loan.
Travel loans promoted by banks are a good way of meeting all your travelling expense like ticket cost, lodging, visa, various taxes and many more.
While the loan amount may vary according to your income and repayment capacity, banks mostly offer a minimum of Rs 20,000 to as high as Rs 10 lakh as loan amount.
Travel loans are supposed to be repaid over a span of four years and can be easily obtained. Repayment policy for this loan varies from banks-to-banks in terms of the rate of interest levied on the loan availed. On an average the rate of interest is around 14-16 per cent.
When you apply for a travel loan, you are required to submit a copy of your passport for travelling overseas, rail/bus/air tickets, visas, residence proof, consolidated invoice of ticket, insurance costs and passport size photograph. Some banks may ask for some additional documents, but that is bank specific.
Salaried individuals need to submit a copy of the latest salary slip and Form 16. Self-employed individuals and working professionals will be required to submit a copy of Income Tax returns for last two financial years and a residence proof.
You need to fill an application form available with banks. A nominal processing fee is charged by banks, which may sometimes be waived off.
Banks offer some other benefits with travel loans like low processing charges, no administrative charges and security. And, minimal documentation and no prepayment penalties is what all customers look for.
Another option is to obtain a loan of maximum Rs 5 lakh only in case long-term saving instruments like National Savings Certificate (NSC), Indira Vikas Patra (IVP), Kisan Vikas Patra (KVP), policy from Life Insurance Corporation (Surrender Value), are provided as collateral security equal to at least 50 per cent of the sanctioned loan amount. Loan worth Rs 10 lakh is also sanctioned by submitting the same collateral security but the collateral amount should be equal to 100 per cent of the loan amount.
As personal loans are unsecured loans, the rate of interest levied is higher. But, if you are mortgaging long-term saving instruments, you can get a better rate of interest.
So, no matter which profession you belong to, whether you are salaried, working professional, self-employed, high net worth individual, agriculturist or pensioner, you are eligible for travel loans.
In short, travel loan is a financially smart decision as it will not only improve your credit score with good payment history but will also help you take a break from work by allowing a monthly payment of the expense you incurred on the long cherished vacation.
SOURCE: Business Standard
By Bienu Vaghela
Summer vacations are fast approaching and tour operators are leaving no stones unturned to advertise attractive tour packages for various domestic and foreign destinations. There are tour packages for every pocket. Many must have already planned their vacation. But if you are not taking a break due to budget constraints, here's how you can quickly plan a vacation -
Remember, when planning a vacation, do not do away with funds saved for meeting unforeseen expenses.
Work out your budget, first and then evaluate how much extra funds you have to help sponsoring the holiday. If you cannot spare enough from the savings and you still owe a holiday to your kids, a travel loan can rescue you.
Typically, a travel loan is nothing but a personal loan. But with increased awareness and marketing by the travel sector, many banks now a days, offer special travel loans. Some of these special schemes are - State Bank of India's Easy Travel Loan, Bank of India's Star Holiday Loan Scheme and Bank of Baroda's Desh Videsh Yatra Loan.
Travel loans promoted by banks are a good way of meeting all your travelling expense like ticket cost, lodging, visa, various taxes and many more.
While the loan amount may vary according to your income and repayment capacity, banks mostly offer a minimum of Rs 20,000 to as high as Rs 10 lakh as loan amount.
Travel loans are supposed to be repaid over a span of four years and can be easily obtained. Repayment policy for this loan varies from banks-to-banks in terms of the rate of interest levied on the loan availed. On an average the rate of interest is around 14-16 per cent.
When you apply for a travel loan, you are required to submit a copy of your passport for travelling overseas, rail/bus/air tickets, visas, residence proof, consolidated invoice of ticket, insurance costs and passport size photograph. Some banks may ask for some additional documents, but that is bank specific.
Salaried individuals need to submit a copy of the latest salary slip and Form 16. Self-employed individuals and working professionals will be required to submit a copy of Income Tax returns for last two financial years and a residence proof.
You need to fill an application form available with banks. A nominal processing fee is charged by banks, which may sometimes be waived off.
Banks offer some other benefits with travel loans like low processing charges, no administrative charges and security. And, minimal documentation and no prepayment penalties is what all customers look for.
Another option is to obtain a loan of maximum Rs 5 lakh only in case long-term saving instruments like National Savings Certificate (NSC), Indira Vikas Patra (IVP), Kisan Vikas Patra (KVP), policy from Life Insurance Corporation (Surrender Value), are provided as collateral security equal to at least 50 per cent of the sanctioned loan amount. Loan worth Rs 10 lakh is also sanctioned by submitting the same collateral security but the collateral amount should be equal to 100 per cent of the loan amount.
As personal loans are unsecured loans, the rate of interest levied is higher. But, if you are mortgaging long-term saving instruments, you can get a better rate of interest.
So, no matter which profession you belong to, whether you are salaried, working professional, self-employed, high net worth individual, agriculturist or pensioner, you are eligible for travel loans.
In short, travel loan is a financially smart decision as it will not only improve your credit score with good payment history but will also help you take a break from work by allowing a monthly payment of the expense you incurred on the long cherished vacation.
SOURCE: Business Standard
By Bienu Vaghela
Monday, March 29, 2010
Book your Summer Resort: Indians back to Travelling in Large Groups
If you are planning to spend the summer vacation in the hills this year, book your hotels in advance or you could struggle to find an accommodation of choice in destinations like Manali, Panchgani, Ooty, Munnar and Darjeeling.
Domestic tourists, which over the last two years took short breaks and switched to travelling as couples or as family of four after the economic slowdown hit consumer spends, are now back with the whole family for week-long trips.
"Indians are known for travelling in large groups and this season they are back on the roads," said Keyur Joshi COO of travel services firm Makemytrip. Domestic travellers outnumber big spending foreign tourists during the summer season.
Travel agents say just about a fifth of the summer tourists last year took long duration breaks and this season half of the overall bookings are for week-long trips.
The traditional Indian traveller who hops between destinations in 3-4 day breaks is also evolving, says Richa Goyal Sikri, director with Delhi-based travel company STIC Travels. "People now want to relax and savour the flavours."
Revival in corporate growth and salary increments have fuelled consumers travel spends, one of hardest hit by the economic slowdown. Tour operators are already reporting a 20-25 % increase in bookings compared to last summer.
"Kashmir, Ladakh, besides all-season favourites Kerala and Goa, have seen a surge in booking," said Ashutosh Mehere, vice-president, Cox & Kings.
In the off-season, a prominent four-star hotel in Goa that charged Rs 13,000 a couple for three-night-four-day package inclusive of all meals last summer has priced it at Rs 15,500 this year.
Agents, who book in bulk, say consumers will pay on an average 5-10 % more than last summer even as hotel rack rates have not changed in many destinations as the big discounts of last year has declined.
Prices vary significantly between hotels but a three-star hotel in Manali could cost about Rs 3,000-4 ,000 a night inclusive of meals for a couple.
Longer vacations is not restricted to local destinations. Tour operators say more travellers on short-haul destinations like Thailand, Malaysia or Singapore are opting for week-long trips rather than typical three night-four-day packages.
A seven nights package to Malaysia and Singapore inclusive of airfare, sightseeing, two meals a day and budget hotel accommodation would cost around Rs 40,000-45 ,000 per head.
Kashmira Commissariat, who heads outbound travel for Kuoni India, said long haul destinations like the US and Europe are also seeing more bookings.
"Indians had started giving a miss to these destinations during slowdown which has changed this summer" she said. The 10-15 % gain in value of rupee against the dollar and the euro over last year has made it cheaper to travel to US and Europe.
SOURCE: By Meenakshi Verma Ambwani,
ET Bureau
Date - March 24, 2010
Location - New Delhi
Domestic tourists, which over the last two years took short breaks and switched to travelling as couples or as family of four after the economic slowdown hit consumer spends, are now back with the whole family for week-long trips.
"Indians are known for travelling in large groups and this season they are back on the roads," said Keyur Joshi COO of travel services firm Makemytrip. Domestic travellers outnumber big spending foreign tourists during the summer season.
Travel agents say just about a fifth of the summer tourists last year took long duration breaks and this season half of the overall bookings are for week-long trips.
The traditional Indian traveller who hops between destinations in 3-4 day breaks is also evolving, says Richa Goyal Sikri, director with Delhi-based travel company STIC Travels. "People now want to relax and savour the flavours."
Revival in corporate growth and salary increments have fuelled consumers travel spends, one of hardest hit by the economic slowdown. Tour operators are already reporting a 20-25 % increase in bookings compared to last summer.
"Kashmir, Ladakh, besides all-season favourites Kerala and Goa, have seen a surge in booking," said Ashutosh Mehere, vice-president, Cox & Kings.
In the off-season, a prominent four-star hotel in Goa that charged Rs 13,000 a couple for three-night-four-day package inclusive of all meals last summer has priced it at Rs 15,500 this year.
Agents, who book in bulk, say consumers will pay on an average 5-10 % more than last summer even as hotel rack rates have not changed in many destinations as the big discounts of last year has declined.
Prices vary significantly between hotels but a three-star hotel in Manali could cost about Rs 3,000-4 ,000 a night inclusive of meals for a couple.
Longer vacations is not restricted to local destinations. Tour operators say more travellers on short-haul destinations like Thailand, Malaysia or Singapore are opting for week-long trips rather than typical three night-four-day packages.
A seven nights package to Malaysia and Singapore inclusive of airfare, sightseeing, two meals a day and budget hotel accommodation would cost around Rs 40,000-45 ,000 per head.
Kashmira Commissariat, who heads outbound travel for Kuoni India, said long haul destinations like the US and Europe are also seeing more bookings.
"Indians had started giving a miss to these destinations during slowdown which has changed this summer" she said. The 10-15 % gain in value of rupee against the dollar and the euro over last year has made it cheaper to travel to US and Europe.
SOURCE: By Meenakshi Verma Ambwani,
ET Bureau
Date - March 24, 2010
Location - New Delhi
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Himachal Tourism Packages for Newly Weds
The Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC) has announced a special discount of 30 per cent in hotels for honeymooning couples visiting the state during the next fortnight.
The honeymoon package has been offered in Hotel Holiday Home (HHH) in Shimla, Palace Hotel in Chail, Manimahesh, Dalhousie, Hotel Macleodganj and Hotel Dhauladhar in Dharamsala, Hotel Sarvari in Kullu and Hotel Renuka in Sirmaur.
In addition to the special discount, the facility of deluxe buses for local sight seeing, including meals for three days will also be provided by HPTDC.
The honeymoon holiday package will be available till April 5 this year.
SOURCE: Business Standard
By Baldev S Chauhan
Date - March 24, 2010
Location - New Delhi/ Shimla
The honeymoon package has been offered in Hotel Holiday Home (HHH) in Shimla, Palace Hotel in Chail, Manimahesh, Dalhousie, Hotel Macleodganj and Hotel Dhauladhar in Dharamsala, Hotel Sarvari in Kullu and Hotel Renuka in Sirmaur.
In addition to the special discount, the facility of deluxe buses for local sight seeing, including meals for three days will also be provided by HPTDC.
The honeymoon holiday package will be available till April 5 this year.
SOURCE: Business Standard
By Baldev S Chauhan
Date - March 24, 2010
Location - New Delhi/ Shimla
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Globus Family of Brands releases survey on Indian Leisure Travel Trends to Europe
In order to better understand and chart the evolution of the Indian outbound market, Globus Family of Brands conducted a survey focusing on leisure travel trends to Europe. The survey report, which was released recently, categorised leisure travel to Europe in four segments: Indian-operated coach tours, international coach tours, independent travel and cruising. The findings of the survey which was conducted online and offline, with 1,500 experienced travellers, revealed that the top deciding factors when choosing a vacation were price, followed by itinerary choices and the brand name of the tour operator.
As per the survey results, the choice of hotels was varied, with 49 per cent preferring budget hotels and a tour price of less than USD100 a day, 23 per cent desiring at least first-class hotels and the rest choosing superior tourist hotels. Coach tours emerged as most popular with first time travellers (60 per cent) of respondents, while only 32 per cent of first time travellers wanted to explore Europe on their own. The remaining, according to the survey are likely to choose river or ocean cruises. With regards to choice of destinations, European panorama vacations combining three to four countries are favourites among first-timers and the top countries they want to visit are Switzerland, Italy, France, and Great Britain. The criterion of the sample set for the survey was the past international travel experience of the respondents. Those who did not own passports and had not travelled overseas before could not participate in the survey. 65 per cent of respondents were based in metros and 98 per cent owned cars and participated in at least one social networking site.
According to the survey findings, as many as 72 per cent of the respondents wanted a Tour Director to help on a tour to Europe, but only with certain things. This highlights the changing trend, as travellers want the conveniences of coach touring, but with some independence. 75 per cent wanted to have the must-see sites included while retaining some free time to explore on their own. With regards to vacation packages which include sightseeing, 47 per cent prefer that must-see sites are included but want a choice of optional activities for flexibility. This is in contrast to the 38 per cent who wanted all sightseeing included and 15 per cent who wanted to do everything on their own.
"These trends are comparable to international trends and are substantiated with the growth we have seen in our Cosmos and Globus coach vacations that offer balanced itineraries with the must-see sites along with free time to allow people to enjoy their own experiences during their vacation," informed Gauri Jayaram, Regional Director South Asia & Middle East, Globus Family of Brands.
The survey also brought out the changing pattern in the culinary requirements of Indians while traveling. While Indians are famous for taking along their food overseas when touring, the survey indicates that this is changing as only 14 per cent wanted to have all meals included and only Indian meals. As many as 66 per cent of respondents wanted few meals included in the tour price with the opportunity to sample local cuisine. (This could be due to demographics of the sample size, wherein those living in metropolitan areas are possibly more prone to sampling different cuisines.). "This is an important indication of the traveller maturing. Food is such an important part of a cultural experience and this shows the willingness of Indians to experiment and experience the destination for what it is. We offer only local/continental cuisine when it is included and we have grown our market share by highlighting this as our USP!" added Jayaram. She further added, "Our leading brand in India is Cosmos, a leader in budget travel. This year, our best sellers are from the 14 vacations that cost less than USD 1000 (prices on land basis only) per person, but our growth is with Globus, which offers premium escorted tours. This means that Indians don't always want the cheapest. They want the best value for their money." The Globus Family of Brands includes Globus, Cosmos, Monograms, and Avalon Waterways.
SOURCE: Travelbizmonitor.com
By TBM Staff
Date - March 16, 2010
Location - Mumbai
As per the survey results, the choice of hotels was varied, with 49 per cent preferring budget hotels and a tour price of less than USD100 a day, 23 per cent desiring at least first-class hotels and the rest choosing superior tourist hotels. Coach tours emerged as most popular with first time travellers (60 per cent) of respondents, while only 32 per cent of first time travellers wanted to explore Europe on their own. The remaining, according to the survey are likely to choose river or ocean cruises. With regards to choice of destinations, European panorama vacations combining three to four countries are favourites among first-timers and the top countries they want to visit are Switzerland, Italy, France, and Great Britain. The criterion of the sample set for the survey was the past international travel experience of the respondents. Those who did not own passports and had not travelled overseas before could not participate in the survey. 65 per cent of respondents were based in metros and 98 per cent owned cars and participated in at least one social networking site.
According to the survey findings, as many as 72 per cent of the respondents wanted a Tour Director to help on a tour to Europe, but only with certain things. This highlights the changing trend, as travellers want the conveniences of coach touring, but with some independence. 75 per cent wanted to have the must-see sites included while retaining some free time to explore on their own. With regards to vacation packages which include sightseeing, 47 per cent prefer that must-see sites are included but want a choice of optional activities for flexibility. This is in contrast to the 38 per cent who wanted all sightseeing included and 15 per cent who wanted to do everything on their own.
"These trends are comparable to international trends and are substantiated with the growth we have seen in our Cosmos and Globus coach vacations that offer balanced itineraries with the must-see sites along with free time to allow people to enjoy their own experiences during their vacation," informed Gauri Jayaram, Regional Director South Asia & Middle East, Globus Family of Brands.
The survey also brought out the changing pattern in the culinary requirements of Indians while traveling. While Indians are famous for taking along their food overseas when touring, the survey indicates that this is changing as only 14 per cent wanted to have all meals included and only Indian meals. As many as 66 per cent of respondents wanted few meals included in the tour price with the opportunity to sample local cuisine. (This could be due to demographics of the sample size, wherein those living in metropolitan areas are possibly more prone to sampling different cuisines.). "This is an important indication of the traveller maturing. Food is such an important part of a cultural experience and this shows the willingness of Indians to experiment and experience the destination for what it is. We offer only local/continental cuisine when it is included and we have grown our market share by highlighting this as our USP!" added Jayaram. She further added, "Our leading brand in India is Cosmos, a leader in budget travel. This year, our best sellers are from the 14 vacations that cost less than USD 1000 (prices on land basis only) per person, but our growth is with Globus, which offers premium escorted tours. This means that Indians don't always want the cheapest. They want the best value for their money." The Globus Family of Brands includes Globus, Cosmos, Monograms, and Avalon Waterways.
SOURCE: Travelbizmonitor.com
By TBM Staff
Date - March 16, 2010
Location - Mumbai
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