Global sightseeing company Big Bus Tours, known for its iconic hop-on, hop-off services in major tourist destinations worldwide, has recently entered the Indian market through a partnership with Auxilia Networks and has witnessed phenomenal growth in a remarkably short span of time.
Alexi Tabrizi, Executive VP – Global Sales at Big Bus Tours, while speaking to TravelBizMonitor on the sidelines of IPW in Chicago, said that they are very excited about the Indian market and termed the opportunity as one of the biggest. “Currently, we are witnessing organic growth of 50 to 60 per cent. We have virtually done nothing in terms of sales effort last year, as we were busy connecting with wholesalers and handling other tasks,” she said.
When asked about her expectations for growth this year, Tabrizi replied, “I expect triple-digit growth from the Indian market.”
Before setting up an office, India did not even figure among the top 20 source markets for Big Bus Tours. “Today, India is among the top four source markets for us,” she revealed. The other three top source markets for the company are US, UK, and Western Europe.
Over the next five years, Tabrizi hopes to see India contribute a healthy mix of FIT, leisure, and MICE segments to their business. “I strongly believe that India will be in the same league as the US, UK, and Western European markets in the coming five years,” she said.
With regard to trade commissions, Big Bus Tours offers a standard 20% commission to its partners, while Indian travel agents are eligible for up to 35%. “If an agent is using our product, their base commission is 20%. However, for those delivering good business volume, we are open to increasing the commission. To promote this product, we are offering Indian travel trade agents the highest available commission, which is 35%,” said Tabrizi.
“We want to ensure we understand the needs of both the Indian travel trade and the Indian consumer. Our business is inherently innovative and experimental, and as operators, we have the flexibility to develop products tailored to specific markets and partners. To capitalize on the growing demand across FIT and group segments, we aim to engage in meaningful conversations with major trade partners and consolidators, and co-create products that meet the specific needs of the Indian market,” she said.
