Mumbai-based Broken Compass, which focuses on customised tours both within and outside India, has registered strong growth since it’s inception in 2010, with booking numbers increasing from 10-15 trips in the inaugural year to 120-130 trips a year currently, with a 25-25 per cent repeat client rate. Broken Compass’ focus is to try and understand the client’s travel personality and customise the holiday accordingly. In 2010, Verma stated, there were not many companies offering customised trips and it seemed to be the need of the hour. The objective of Broken Compass was to bridge that gap.
Explaining the USP of Broken Compass, Manjari Verma, Wandering Consultant, Broken Compasss said, “We started seeing a lot of people came back not completely satisfied with their holidays. There were little facets that did not match up to what they wanted or expected. We did a little research and realised that, at the time, there are several companies that offer travel services, but not a lot who guide you about how to go about your holiday. So we ensure that we have a lot of hands-on planning and have a great rapport with our clients.”
Avani Patel, Co-Founder, Broken Compass further divulged that the company takes care not to bind the travellers to an itinerary. “We want people to explore the place themselves, with only guidance from us about how to do it. Also, the entire customisation works around their personalities. For instance, there are food tours for foodies for which we get food guides. If there are families travelling where the elders have an inclination to history but the children want adventure activities, we split the group up and plan two tours to cater to their needs,” she said.
Broken Compass plans both international and domestic trips, with a focus more on the FIT segment than group tours. Patel explained that the company only plans tours sporadically to destinations that are not popular among tour operating companies, such as a group tour organised to the Valley of Flowers which is largely considered only a trekker’s paradise. “We are choosy about planning such trips as it is not our main focus and it makes customisation difficult. For the same reason we do not do contracting as we plan accommodations based on the customer’s personality and budget,” she added.
When asked about the trends in the Indian travellers’ demands, Verma opined that there is a huge change in the Indian traveller. They have moved away from the Bollywood backdrops and places recommended by relatives to newer destinations for more exploratory trips. “Indians aren’t intimidated by new places any more. Central Europe has now opened up and destinations such as Prague, Iceland and Norway are gaining momentum. South East Asian countries have become more like long weekend getaways,” said Verma.
