In a dynamic and insightful panel discussion at the second ET Travel & Tourism Conclave & Awards on November 30 in New Delhi, leading voices from the travel and tourism industry engaged in a comprehensive conversation on India’s outbound travel landscape. The central theme focused on the effectiveness of the aggressive marketing and direct connection strategies employed over the past year.
The conversation, moderated by Nitin Sachdeva, CEO, Venture Marketing included insights from GB Srithar, Regional Director, India, Middle East, South Asia, & Africa, Singapore Tourism Board, Mukul Sukhani, Senior Vice President, Business Development, Mastercard, Daniel D’Souza, President & Country Head – Holidays, SOTC Travel and Rohit Kohli, MD, Away & Co.
The panel discussion on India’s outbound travel market highlighted the strong recovery and growth seen over the past year. National tourism boards like the Singapore Tourism Board have focused on partnerships and engaging communities to promote destinations.
Whereas, global payment service providers like Mastercard are seeing close to 40 per cent rise in outbound travel spending from India in 2023 compared to 2022. Data insights allow them to curate offers and understand changing customer behaviour.
Tour operators like SOTC and Away & Co, which is part of Creative Travel Group, noted a rise in experiential, event-based and wedding travel. They believe customers are taking more, shorter trips for unique experiences. While challenges around visas and TCS on overseas tour packages remain, the confident Indian traveller is less price-sensitive if getting value.
All the panellists unanimously agreed that Indian outbound travellers now prioritise experiences over price. Curated high-end trips see strong demand despite high costs. The pandemic has made people realise the importance of creating memories through travel.
The moderator of the panel discussion, Nitin Sachdeva kicked off the discussion by querying GB Srithar about the Singapore Tourism Board’s marketing strategies over the last year. Srithar detailed the board’s adaptability to post-Covid consumer behaviour changes, emphasising aggressive plans and creative marketing strategies. Despite a competitive landscape, Singapore Tourism consistently positioned itself as a creative and inclusive destination in India.
Srithar, representing the Singapore Tourism Board, highlighted the challenge of staying relevant in India’s competitive market. Singapore has focused on creative, impactful, and inclusive marketing. He stressed the shift from information dissemination to cooperation, community engagement, and fostering conversations. Despite increased competition, Singapore remains a favourite destination for Indian travellers.
The panel discussed leveraging technology to gain operational visibility and scale through platforms like predictive analytics and real-time tracking. Partnerships across the ecosystem, from airlines to startups, were highlighted as critical. While raising funds, the two founders on the panel emphasised the importance of strong governance, a clear path to profitability and founder autonomy.
Tourism marketing strategies, partnerships & shift in consumer behaviours
The conversation further delved into the importance of cooperation, community engagement, and conversations in promoting tourism. Mukul Sukhani highlighted the success of partnerships, citing Mastercard’s collaboration with travel companies to promote mobile payments. The outcome was a positive shift in consumer behaviour, showcasing the impact of strategic alliances in the travel industry.
Sukhani then shared insights into changing consumer behaviour. With a 39 per cent increase in outbound travel spending from India in 2023, Mastercard leverages its extensive acceptance network to provide seamless payment experiences globally. “The focus is on curating offers and collaborations to enhance customer value.” During the discussion, Sukhani also touched upon the emerging segment of travellers seeking priceless experiences and explained Mastercard’s ‘Priceless Cities’ program, offering bespoke curated travel packages.
Evolving travel trends and challenges post-Covid
The discussion between Sachdeva and D’Souza revolved around the impact of Covid-19 on Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) strategies. D’Souza also discussed the evolution of Thomas Cook Group’s strategy in response to changing consumer behaviour. He said the company adapted to a surge in domestic travel post-Covid and witnessed increased business-leisure trips, and demand for experiential journeys. He also emphasised on the shift in travel patterns, with customers opting for more frequent, unique experiences such as event-based travel and cruises. The discussion unveiled changes in Indian consumer preferences, influenced by movies and food, with a spotlight on shorter trips.
Leveraging partnerships for experiential travel
During the interaction, Sachdeva also stressed on the importance of partnerships in enhancing outbound travel experiences. Rohit Kohli from Away & Co echoed this sentiment, underlining the company’s focus on experiential travel through collaborations with tourism boards and private entities. Kohli said his company focuses on highly personalised, experiential trips, catering to a segment willing to invest in unique and priceless travel experiences. The emphasis of the discussion was on creating unique and memorable experiences for travellers and tapping into the growing appetite for luxury travel.
Kohli also emphasised on the resilience of the industry in overcoming challenges and adapting to changes such as TCS compliance, visa issues, and increased competition.
Catering to India’s evolving travel market
Srithar further highlighted India’s young and confident traveller demographic, noting a preference for unique experiences and value for money. Despite price sensitivity, the Indian consumer is willing to pay for quality, making Singapore a desirable destination. Sukhani said Mastercard’s Priceless India initiative aligns with this trend, offering bespoke travel packages that prioritise experiential travel over price.
In conclusion, Kohli and D’Souza shed light on challenges in the travel industry, including confusion over TCS compliance, visa issues, and supply-side challenges. Sukhani emphasised on the need for companies to adapt to changing customer behaviour. Srithar added insights into Singapore’s popularity as a destination despite the competition, attributing it to historical ties and a positive trajectory for India.
The panel’s discourse painted a comprehensive picture of India’s outbound travel industry, highlighting successful strategies, emerging trends, and challenges. The consensus was that despite the hurdles posed by the pandemic and geopolitical tensions, opportunities abound for businesses to cater to India’s evolving travel market by prioritising unique and priceless experiences.
At the 2nd edition of the Economic Times Travel & Tourism Conclave, the sustainability experts converged to discuss what lies ahead of India’s travel future. Emphasising deeper carrying capacity studies and local community engagement, they also proposed taking up the responsible traveller guidelines and industry cooperation for improved destination management while avoiding ‘degrowth’ of the sector.
[ad_2]
Source link
In a move to elevate its status as a prime tourism destination, Punjab, a state already celebrated for its rich culture and heritage, has embarked on a transformative journey with a vision to establish itself as a global tourism hotspot. While domestic tourist arrivals have reached about 8,816,153, and foreign tourist arrivals stand at 278,155 between January to June 2023, Punjab government is going all out in its pursuit to join the competitive tourism race.
In an exclusive conversation with ETTravelWorld, Rakhee Gupta Bhandari, IAS, Principal Secretary of Tourism & Cultural Affairs, Government of Punjab, shares insights into the journey so far and what lies ahead for Punjab’s increasing prominence in tourism.
Marketing Punjab: the new era
Punjab has never aggressively marketed itself as a tourism destination. However, if late, the state seems to be realising immense potential in tourism, prompting a shift in its strategy, acknowledged Bhandari.
“We came to a realisation that there is a need to actively promote ourselves; we were just content, assuming that tourists would come to us naturally. However, the reality calls for an aggressive marketing plan to attract the numbers. Punjab rarely showcased itself on the tourism stage and there is a need to change this status quo,” asserted Bhandari.
“We have so much to offer. We need to put it out there for the world to know,” she added.
To get there, Punjab is working on various marketing strategies to develop the tourism interest among the travellers.
“Tourism needs to be talked about and therefore, we realise the importance of social media. It helps to develop connect with the travellers and plays an active role to engage and promote local stakeholders, such as hoteliers, farm stay owners and homestay operators in promoting Punjab’s tourism offerings,” she said, adding, “The ultimate goal is to promote Punjab as a year-round destination, not just during the peak tourist season.”
Punjab Tourism Summit & Travel Mart
For the first time, the state held a Tourism Summit & Travel Mart, actively engaging the industry stakeholders. The event served as a launchpad for Punjab’s tourism objectives, attracting significant interest from potential investors looking to contribute to the advancement of the sector.
The event was preceded by roadshows that were held across key cities to generate the buzz around the summit.
“The aim was to introduce Punjab tourism as a brand, both domestically and internationally,” she stated. The results, she shared, exceeded expectations, with an impressive footfall and overwhelmingly positive perception surveys from national and international participants.
“We sought to actively engage the extensive NRI community worldwide, encouraging them to revisit Punjab and become influential advocates for the brand,” she said. Emphasising on the collective power of voices, she said that multiple individuals sharing positive experiences have a more significant impact than relying on a single brand ambassador.
National-level experts were invited to participate in the summit, with sessions moderated by senior partners from KPMG to ensure high-quality discourse. “We aimed for meaningful discourse with tangible outcomes,” she added.
Additionally, the summit explored the influential role of media and entertainment in shaping tourism, acknowledging the contributions of Bollywood stars and personalities from the music and entertainment industry who hail from Punjab.
The Ministry of Tourism also announced the forthcoming edition of the Best Tourism Village Competition in 2024, aimed at fostering rural tourism development and easing off burden from cities plagued by overtourism. Further, a national competition titled Tourism for Tomorrow, focusing on case studies and best practices, was also inaugurated during the event, in line with the priorities outlined in the Goa Roadmap.
Sector related policies in the offing
In keeping with the trend, Punjab is planning to go big on wellness tourism. According to Bhandari, the Punjab government is in the process of formulating a wellness policy, seeking input and suggestions from stakeholders before its final implementation.
“Our policy, which is currently in the proposal stage, will strive to develop and promote state-of-the-art wellness centers and resorts, incorporating traditional Indian wellness practices such as naturopathy, Ayurveda, and yoga,” she said, highlighting Punjab’s natural assets.
The policy will also focus on job creation and improving residents’ quality of life. “It will also focus on organising the wellness sector through guidelines and regulations, fostering public-private partnerships, and preserving Punjab’s rich cultural heritage,” she said.
The state now also plans to update the Eco Tourism and Culture Policy, among other initiatives.
Punjab recently implemented several impactful policy measures, including the Adventure Tourism & Water Tourism Policy, the establishment of Invest Punjab and financial incentives offered through the Industrial Policy 2022.
Additionally, the state government may also look at introducing entertainment policy in near future, in light of the Punjab Tourism Minister’s mention of setting up film studios and film cities in the state.
Bhandari shared that the summit also sparked ideas like backyard tourism, sports tourism, and positioning Punjab as a golf destination. “The challenge now is to strategically harness these opportunities while proceeding in a phased manner,” she added.
Encouraging women in tourism
To promote women’s participation in tourism, the state tourism department engaged various NGOs and self-help groups from Punjab’s villages, with a particular focus on women entrepreneurs. This initiative, said Bhandari, aimed to make Punjab more gender-sensitive, addressing patriarchal structures that existed in the past.
Further, aligned with the UN’s 5th Sustainable Development Goal, the state government is upholding Rangla Punjab, an initiative to showcase the diversity of Punjab while empowering women in the tourism sector.
Through this, the government intends to provide training and skill development initiatives for women seeking various roles within the tourism sector, supporting women entrepreneurs venturing into tourism-related businesses.
Leveraging the Public-Private Partnerships
Speaking about the thrust on PPP, Bhandari highlighted past successes as a testament to the potential of this model. She mentioned “Saada Pind” in Amritsar, a project that operates under the PPP framework and has been thriving. “This cultural attraction has drawn a significant crowd, serving as a beacon for cultural enthusiasts,” she added.
The state now intends to leverage heritage buildings,many of which remain underutilised. “Our aim is to incorporate them into a PPP framework, but the specific operational intricacies and details will emerge gradually as we navigate through the entire process,” she said.
To ensure success and maintain the sustainability quotient, the state is seeking guidance from experts and knowledge partners, she said, adding that the aim is to actively engage with the private sector.
Promoting sustainable ways of tourism
Bhandari highlighted the need for tourists to be more responsible and ethical in their behaviour. She called for the travellers to adopt clean and hygienic practices and refrain from expecting the world to cater to their whims. “Locals often feel the strain of tourism, and it’s time for travellers to be more considerate and respectful of the destinations they visit,” she said.
An interesting sustainable tourism trend she mentioned was the increasing interest among NRIs (Non-Resident Indians) in rural farm stays. As per Bhandari, Punjab’s tourism department already promotes such experiences, offering opportunities for travellers to connect with their roots. She highlighted eco-tourism resorts like Kikar Lodge in Rupnagar and Citrus County in Hoshiarpur as success examples of rural farm stays.
“Such experiences offer a break from the digital world and resonate with the trend of responsible tourism, which is gaining traction in India,” stated Bhandari.
A push to festival tourism
The Punjab tourism department has a year-long calendar in place, focusing on specific activities and festivals that resonate with Punjab’s history and culture. The Inquilab Festival held in Nawanshahr, Khatkar Kalan, the residence of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, is a case in point.
And now, Bhandari said, Punjab tourism has plans to host more festivals around Teej and Lohri, considering movies have breathed new life into these age-old celebrations. She also highlighted the importance of the Baba Fareed Mela in Faridkot, which attracts a large gathering from the state and beyond.
“We’ve taken the baby steps and have every intention to continue moving forward without any intention of slowing down. Punjab’s tourism journey has only just begun,” she concluded on a high note.
[ad_2]
Source link