Tag Archives: adventure

‘The pandemic led to a remarkable increase in awareness about the North East’

The North East region of India has emerged as a must-do travel destination in the past couple of years, especially with a range of adventure activities available. Amit Periwal, Director, Clubside Tours and Travels Pvt Ltd and Chapter Chairman, East India, ATOAI, spoke to Disha Shah Ghosh about their offerings for the region, challenges and the expansion of their geographical footprint.

Q. The awareness about the tourism opportunities in the North East is still not very profound. Tell us about some of your offerings for travel in this region.
In the past, the North East has remained a secluded and hidden gem in the tourism circuit. However, the pandemic brought a silver lining as it encouraged people to explore their own country when international travel was restricted. This period led to a remarkable increase in awareness about the North East.

Our programmes cater to diverse interests, including cultural explorations, tribal tours, spiritual journeys, wildlife, adventurous treks, and delightful culinary tours. Each state in the North East boasts its own distinct festivals, and our immersive festival programmes ensure guests can revel in the region’s vibrant celebrations. Whether it’s immersing in cultural traditions, connecting with indigenous tribes, seeking spiritual solace, or relishing the rich biodiversity, our tours offer something unforgettable for every traveller.

The adventure travel segment in India is still a small pie of the ocean. Which are some of your top selling products in that space?
Adventure Travel is the fastest growing segment in India. Everyone now wants some element of experience which becomes a take away and something they can remember forever.

Achievement of having done something which has an element of risk is always very satisfying. The East and North East gives us the opportunity to cater to a bouquet of adventure activities from soft adventure like hiking, to medium and high altitude trekking, overnight camping experiences, wildlife and now with our operations in Andamans we are also catering to all water adventure activities as well.

Q. You have offices in offices in Kolkata, Darjeeling, Siliguri, Guwahati and recently opened one in Port Blair. Tell us about the importance of these locations for your business.
These locations are the main entry and exit points for East and North East. The international airports in East India are in Kolkata, Bagdogra and Guwahati and recently in Port Blair also the new terminal building of the international airport has been inaugurated. For us to ensure the quality of service delivery, these locations become very important strategically. We operate in a lot of remote areas with limited infrastructure, it’s always very important to ensure that the tourists are well informed, and know what to expect when they visit the secluded locations and being present in the entry points gives us the opportunity to set the expectations well for the rest of the tour.

How complex is organising a customised adventure tour, in India, and overseas, especially since it’s a niche segment?
Organising a customized adventure tour, whether in India or overseas, is a complex endeavour. It requires attention to safety protocols, in-depth product knowledge, and effective client expectation setting. Mitigating risks and having well-defined evacuation plans are crucial for ensuring the safety and well-being of participants. Dealing with limited infrastructure and connectivity in remote areas demands careful planning and coordination. Building strong local partnerships with experienced guides is vital for a seamless and exceptional adventure journey. Despite the challenges, the rewarding outcome of providing clients with unforgettable experiences and personal growth opportunities makes it all worthwhile.

Q. What initiatives are being taken by ATOAI East Chapter?
We have conducted a First Aid, Survival, Rescue and CPR training at HMI in Darjeeling in January. This was initialised by ATOAI East Chapter with support from India Tourism Kolkata Office. Grp Cap Jai Kishan (Principal HMI) was very supportive and agreed to conduct the course at HMI with professional trainers. We are also planning to conduct a refresher course for the participants in the next few months.

The G20 Tourism meet on adventure was also held in Siliguri and Darjeeling. This was a great opportunity for us to showcase our region and the potential of adventure tourism in the country to government officials, adventure tour operators, travel bloggers and adventure enthusiasts.

We also have another Certification course for Adventure First Aid, CPR and Wilderness Responder to be conducted in Siliguri in January along with a seminar and a buyer – seller meet exclusively for adventure in the region so we will start planning on that soon.

MMT partners with MoT for ‘Traveller’s Map of India’

This Independence Day, MakeMyTrip (MMT), has joined hands with the Ministry of Tourism to showcase 600+ destinations beyond the country’s most popular travel wonders with Traveller’s Map of India site.

The Traveller’s Map of India microsite developed by MakeMyTrip provides an interactive platform for travellers to discover tourism gems that lie within the country’s borders based on their preferences. This thoughtfully curated microsite has been designed in line with the Government of India’s visionary ‘DekhoApnaDesh’ programme.

G. Kishan Reddy, Union Minister of Tourism, Culture and DoNER, said, “We welcome MakeMyTrip’s initiative to present India’s diverse destinations and to promote domestic tourism. We invite more such initiatives to realise our collective dream of showcasing our country to the world.”

To arrive at the curated shortlist, MakeMyTrip looked through India’s travel search history. With millions of visitors using the platform every month, the destination searches on the platform can be considered to be the nation’s ballot for must-see destinations in the country. Based on this premise, the company selected destinations that are lesser known, or are only familiar to people in certain pockets of the country. The selections have been further categorised with tags such as adventure, wildlife, heritage, mountains, beaches etc, to help travellers sift through to their preferred travel genres.

“The Traveller’s Map of India reflects the voice of almost every Indian traveller which makes it aptly commemorative of August 15th,” said Rajesh Magow, Co-Founder & Group CEO, MakeMyTrip.

“We have always championed for the diversity of India’s tourism offerings and wanted to push the envelope of discovery further. What better way to do this than to empower every Indian to be a spokesperson for the country’s cultural, historic, natural, and geographical marvels. We are grateful to the Ministry of Tourism for supporting our initiative. It reaffirms our faith in our mission to exteriorise India as the most sought-after Tourism destination in the world”, he added.

Medical, adventure tourism to drive job creation: Report

India’s tourism industry, which was severely hit by the covid-19 pandemic, is on the path to recovery, aided by increased travel and the country’s G20 presidency, according to a report by Visa and EY.

The report, titled Charting the Course for India: Tourism Megatrends Unpacked, said that tourism will create about 88 million jobs and contribute $140 billion to India’s gross domestic product in 2023. The sector currently accounts for nearly 13% of all jobs and contributes 5% to its GDP.

Over the next decade, India will likely grow in the medical and wellness, spiritual, business travel as well as adventure tourism segments, the report said, adding that medical and wellness tourism could create about 24 million jobs by 2032. Adventure tourism may also add six million jobs during the period.

While international tourists spend $2134 per trip to India, domestic tourists spend a paltry $56, said the report, which has collated secondary and publicly available information.

The numbers are yet to fully recover, though. In 2022, India received about 6.19 million foreign tourists, about 55% lower than 2019’s 10.93 million; however, only about 30% of these 6.19 million travellers were here for tourism. Similarly, foreign exchange earnings fell from INR 2,10,981 crore in 2019 to INR 1,34,543 crore in 2022.

Globally, though, travel is expected to fully recover in 2023, reaching 80-95% of pre-pandemic levels. India has contributed heavily to this. A significant amount of money was spent by Indians on foreign travel, with over $1 billion spent every month in 2022, the report said, citing Reserve Bank of India data. Cross-border expenditure from India has mainly risen for destinations like Europe, Bali, Vietnam, Dubai and Thailand.

While the report applauded schemes like Incredible India 2.0 to promote overseas tourism, many schemes have been offline and budgets for foreign travel promotion were shrinking. The government decided to cut the outlay for overseas promotional activities by over 50% in this year’s budget, a move which was criticized by industry executives. (Source The Mint)

 

‘Adventures Overland strives to become the market leader in self-drive expeditions’

Having raised its second round of funding, New Delhi-based Adventures Overland is keen to invest into a fleet of 4×4 SUVs and globally marketing its expeditions. Tushar Agarwal, Co-founder & Director, Adventures Overland talks to Disha Shah Ghosh about the meticulous planning for their road trip itineraries, growth in cross border expeditions, and upcoming departures for 2023.

What kind of scope does a niche vertical like expedition have in the Indian market?
We are witnessing a steady growth in the road travel segment, and within these travellers are opting for niche experiences. The pent-up demand has translated into good numbers in 2022. We see an increasing appetite in travellers who want to drive in diverse terrains such as Brazil, Laos, Turkey, Morocco, to name just a few, and have expeditions to cater to these routes. The defining trend we see is the rise of cross-border excursions and international road trips where people would be interested in fly-and-drive expeditions. We are already leaders in the segment and looking to grow further as the pie expands.

What is your strategy to tap this kind of adventure traveller?
While cross-border expeditions may seem expensive at first, our trips offer tremendous value propositions to travellers with all the expertise and experiences we offer. EMI options are available for travellers who wish to stagger their expenses. We offer luxurious niche packages, which include taking care of the accommodation, meals, vehicles and their upkeep, visa formalities, safety, and other travel nuances; our customised tours, fixed departures & epic journeys target different subsets.

With disposable incomes at hand and the trend of personalisation picking up, we are confident that our passion for customer service and merchandise give-away to instil a sense of belonging and focus on a time-effective route and itinerary will continue to fructify. We ensure each traveller has the opportunity to have an immersive experience and a brush with the gastronomical and cultural aspects of the destination. At times, we have even added on a few impromptu destinations as a last-minute call owing to the situation at hand, which is welcomed and truly thrills the travellers.

To execute this kind of trip requires multiple country visas and a lot of documentation. What kind of turnaround time is required for this kind of planning?
Every country and city included in the itinerary has separate rules regarding various activities, such as a valid driving licence or RC authorisation, cross-border letter and special permits for private vehicles to enter. We apply for the required permits well before announcing the trips or keep the documents ready for offline application, depending on the lead time. So, to avoid penalties or heavy fines, we need to be cognisant of all rules pertaining to documentation. The permissions and visa approval processes take time; hence meticulous planning is imperative for a smooth flow of operations. Since we have been organising cross-border expeditions for a decade now, everything is lined up, and we have a dedicated team taking care of documentation. Also, our convoy is self-guided; the travellers need not be bothered about any of these formalities even on-ground

Which are some of your planned departures for 2023?
We have a few planned journeys, the forthcoming being one to Laos, a country traversed by the Mekong River and known for its mountainous terrain, French colonial architecture, hill tribe settlements and Buddhist monasteries. This will be followed by an expedition to Iceland, a natural wonder like none other; the magical and mysterious land of lava rocks, mesmerising beaches, larger-than-life mountains, ancient glaciers and rugged fjords – indeed a country of extreme contrasts and ideal for travellers looking for a destination that offers a plate full of diversity.

Yet another exciting expedition planned is to Morocco, a picturesque country offering contrasts ranging from UNESCO world heritage sites, cultural galore and desert regions to views of the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea and rugged mountains with breath-taking views of the Atlas ranges. This country, home to parts of the hottest desert in the world, The Sahara desert, truly bustles with life with bespoken kasbahs and the best-known squares in Africa. This will be followed by the expedition to Jordan, one of the most iconic ancient cities in the Middle East; it shares borders with several Middle Eastern countries – neighbours being Syria, Iraq, Palestine, and Saudi Arabia and is rich with archaeological, religious and tourist sites. Our guided, small-group self-drive trips allow travellers to experience new destinations while driving in convoys. We are excited to bring a superlative travel destination such as Jordan to our travellers. They can enjoy the Jordan expedition without worrying about breakdowns, language barriers and navigating rugged terrain.

We believe in offering distinctive travel experiences to passionate travellers. Each expedition is curated keeping in mind the natural bouquet of experiences the destinations offer; each journey is an experience in itself and hence, different in its way. While travellers embark on this journey in an individual capacity, they often end up befriending co-travellers, and by the end of the trip, the memories made are unforgettable. Additionally, the thrill of a self-driven convoy-style journey across varied terrains in Land Rover Defenders or Ford Raptors makes it worthwhile.

 

You have recently raised funding. Tell us about your expansion plans.
As we look West, the stage is set for the second phase of Adventures Overland’s evolution. Self-drive holidays are a way of life in the US and UK. Still, there aren’t many players in the guided, small group self-drive segment that allows travel enthusiasts to drive in convoys with radio sets in each car through remote parts of the world such as Central Asia, Alaska, along the west coast of South America through the Andes or the thick forests of Africa, without any worries of break downs, language barriers, navigating through rugged terrain etc.

The funding will be deployed towards taking the brand footprint across the globe. We plan to open offices in 6 continents and invest in a fleet of 4×4 SUVs. A sizeable chunk of the funding will also be used for global marketing, infrastructure upgradation, product development, content creation, and expansion into Tier-II cities.

Adventures Overland strives to become the market leader in self-drive expeditions worldwide and build a global community of road trippers by inspiring, motivating, and engaging like-minded travellers using various platforms.

Rajasthan to be promoted as adventure & monsoon destination

The desert state of Rajasthan, known across the globe for its palaces and forts, will now be promoted as an adventure and monsoon destination, confirmed the Rajasthan Tourism officials.
Till date, tourists have been visiting the state to see the beautiful forts, magnanimous palaces, sand and forest. However, not many people know that the state has many destinations which turn pristine during the monsoon. These include Banswara and Udaipur.

While Banswara is a 100-island town with river, hills, islands and lovely landscape, Udaipur too has attractive lakes and lush green surroundings which turn beautiful during monsoons. Hence, we will promote both these destinations as monsoon destinations among tourists, said these officials while talking to IANS.

Besides these, the state shall also be promoted as adventure tourism destination.

“Most of the tourists visit Himachal and Uttarakhand to get that adrenaline rush. Not many are aware of adventure activities being run here. So next in focus is to promote adventure tourism,” the officials added.
The Covid-19 impact has deeply affected the tourist state of Rajasthan and the government is hence trying to promote tourism among the domestic travellers. (Source: IANS)