With Covid positivity numbers in the country relatively under control, the travel sector is quickly reestablishing momentum and international destinations are increasingly opening up to welcome tourists, ramping up marketing efforts and vying for consumer attention. It’s only a matter of time before we’ll be spilling the banks of travel
No other industry would be as dependent on intangible values as the tourism sector. Tourism spends are based on comfort, schedules, warmth and hospitality, and oftentimes on dreams. This fact demonstrates the susceptibility of the tourism sector to adverse events. A major incident carries the potential to destroy these intangible assets in the long term. But after a lengthy swordplay on defense we can finally see the travel sector playing on its front foot again. With Covid positivity numbers in the country relatively under control, the sector is quickly reestablishing momentum and international destinations are increasingly opening up to welcome tourists, ramping up marketing efforts and vying for consumer attention. In coming months, outbound travel from India will only witness an ascending curve. From workations, to adventure travel, solo trips to revenge travel, our data mining efforts reveal that India is at the cusp of a travel boom and is already witnessing many emerging trends.
Research, research, research!
A google trend report indicates that “countries open for travel from India” has been among the most popular travel searches among Indians in the last 90 days with maximum interest from Delhi, followed by Punjab and Maharashtra. Further studies indicate that people are dotting their I’s and crossing the T’s when it comes to travel planning. Given the fact that there is pent up demand people are being doubly sure about their travel choices and making concious, well-calculated decisions.
Go solo
A lot of people were confined to their households for most part of the pandemic and are now seeking solitude in the form of solo travel experiences or those with a small, closed group of friends and family that address their need for self-care and healing. According to a survey conducted by Airbnb, 57% of respondents across age groups, including GenX and millennials, said they would choose to travel to connect with their immediate family members. Further, 50% of millennials said they would travel with, or to see, friends and family, suggesting new opportunities for hosting across the country through 2021 and 2022.
WFA: ‘Work from Anywhere’
It took some adaptation, but the world was quick to embrace a virtual work culture when the pandemic reared its head in 2020. Work from home became a global phenomenon. The pandemic made us realise that we can be quite efficient even when working from home and a new travel trend called ‘Workation’ emerged. With industry giants like Microsoft and Google adopting an organization-wide work from home culture for their organisations, several luxury resorts and destinations have started reinventing themselves and have come up with innovative travel packages allowing travellers to work and holiday at the same time. This trend is easily one of the most prominent trends to emerge from the pandemic.
Less is more
Considering today’s scenario, people might want to hold off famously crowded destinations. The little-known travel destinations are going to become wildly popular among travellers during post-pandemic travel. Travellers will prefer “safer” locations to overcrowded ones and accommodations that follow cleanliness and hygiene standards.
Off the beaten path
There is a famous quote “There is no certainty, there is only adventure” and this pandemic is proof. The pandemic has seen an increase in interest in outdoor adventures and travellers are seeking safe and relaxing destinations which are closer to nature and are meaningful and memorable. They are looking for activities they couldn’t do during the pandemic and are exploring outdoor adventures such as hiking, sorkelling etc. Rural regions, countryside retreats and resorts which are ideal destinations for social distancing have picked up in popularity.
It is not possible to estimate the extent of the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak because the course and duration of the outbreak are still unknown. Till the virus is completely eradicated this area will continue to be dubious. It may be a long and arduous battle for the industry but one thing I can say with reasonable certainty- it is one that wont be lost.
(The author Munnmunn Marwah is COO of Think Strawberries)
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of Travel Trends Today (T3) and T3 does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.
