FORGET THE scorching sun, embrace the moment. For travel enthusiasts, the season has just begun. With vacations just starting at schools and colleges across the country and the Fifa World Cup kicking off in less than a fortnight?s time, travellers are already busy packing their bags.
Foremost on the itinerary of most travellers is Brazil, one of the hottest destinations this season. Reasonably so, as some of the die-hard fans would like us to believe, there?s no bigger treat than watching a match live in football country.
Although a trip to the other side of the earth may cost a bomb, a round trip and stay for a week in Brazil could cost at least R4 lakh, depending on the location and match, enthusiasts with deep pockets are in no mood to give the ?greatest show on earth? a miss. The grapevine has it that many well-known faces?from HDFC chairman Deepak Parekh to filmmaker Shoojit Sircar and actor John Abraham?have already booked a trip to the south American country. Many others are queuing up.
On an average, travel firms anticipate about 1,500-2,000 fans to travel to Brazil from India through the month-long Fifa World Cup that starts from June 12 and ends on July 13.
Football fever
Vikram Malhi, GM, southeast Asia, Expedia, says the travel portal is seeing a surge in the number of bookings to Brazil by about 20-25% this year, as opposed to the regular Indian traffic to that country. ?The typical Indian traveller?s inclination towards sports is increasing. Be it a Grand Prix, the Wimbledon or the PGA Championship, sports tourism has diversified from its conventional forms,? explains Malhi.
Agrees Sharat Dhall, president, Yatra.com, who has been seeing bookings for Brazil starting last year itself. ?Our bookings have more than doubled to Brazil. We have also noticed travellers combining Brazil with other destinations, as there are no direct flights to that country,? he says.
Enquiries have shot up 20% since the past one year, says Shibani Phadkar, senior vice-president, products and operations, leisure travel (outbound), Thomas Cook (India). Bookings for Brazil began as early as July 2013, and have picked up in the past few months, she adds. Brazil expects a total of 3.7 million tourists during the World Cup, with 6,00,000 of those arriving from abroad, as per some reports.
Refusing to divulge any detail, Karan Anand, head, relationships, Cox & Kings, the official travel partner for the tournament, says the company has got good booking numbers for the tournament. Kunal Malhotra, co-director, TravelRedCarpet.com, says the portal is receiving over 10 queries related to Brazil per month.
Going global
Football notwithstanding, more and more Indians are opting to go abroad as part of their next vacation. As per the recent ?TripBarometer? survey conducted by travel portal TripAdvisor, nearly seven out of 10 Indians surveyed are planning to travel abroad in 2014, up 21% from last year. New Zealand is the top ?dream? destination for Indians to visit in the next 12 to 24 months, followed by France and Switzerland.
Experts predict outbound tourism to grow 15-20% this year, but the figure has so far just been around 5-6%. However, tour organisers say with vacations starting and the general elections wrapping up, bookings are bound to see a spike.
Neelu Singh, COO, Ezeego1.com, a travel meta search company, says though Europe remains a favourite, there is also a good uptake in bookings for Oman, Indonesia, Ireland and New Zealand.
Despite the global ambitions, the Indian traveller hasn’t completely given up on the domestic front. As per Singh of Ezeego1.com, the Himalayan destinations in the north, Munnar, Hampi and Coorg in the south and Sikkim, Darjeeling and Shillong in the northeast are fast emerging as hot favourites. ?Today, people take holidays more frequently, which are aimed primarily at rejuvenation and seeking of new experiences,? she adds.
As per Expedia, though Kashmir, Leh and the northeast India have always been popular destinations, quick getaways also feature in most summer itineraries. ?For Delhiites, the best weekend destinations have been Udaipur (687 km), Jaisalmer (770 km), Mount Abu (780 km) and Ajmer; while for Mumbaikars, Alibaug (324 km) and Ganpati Pule (408 km) are good options,? says Malhi of the US-headquartered Expedia.
Lure of the unknown
It?s not only the tried-and-tested locations, even lesser-known destinations are finding a place on the Indian tourist?s map. While foreign tour organisers say places such as South Africa, Turkey and Europe are emerging as the ?new? Singapore and Malaysia for Indians, the more experienced traveller is setting out to places such as Bali in Indonesia, Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia, South America and even Antarctica.
Agrees Mohit Gupta, chief business officer, holidays, MakeMyTrip. ?Europe continues to be a major draw this summer, but we are also seeing a huge demand for Cambodia and Vietnam. The other destinations expected to be on top of the charts are Turkey, Bali, Greece, Jordan and China,? he adds.
For Thomas Cook, cruise vacations have taken off in a big way across all consumer segments. ?Cruise vacations to Alaska, the Caribbean, Bahamas, the Mediterranean, the Baltic region, Norwegian fjords and even to the Arctic and the Antarctic are trending this year. We have also seen increased tourist interest for Fiji, Bali, Tahiti, the Maldives and Mauritius,? says Padhkar of Thomas Cook.
Kuoni India is seeing a demand for global locations like Vietnam, Austria and Fiji and are offering varied options to choose from. ?For a customised holiday of five days to Fiji, the package starts at R35,000 per person. Similarly, a 11-day scenic New Zealand package starts at R1,53,550,? says Vishal Suri, CEO, tour operating, Kuoni India.
But the big question is: Why is the Indian traveller splurging money to explore the unknown? Gupta of MakeMyTrip believes the Indian traveller has become more confident with time. ?People are looking for new destinations to explore and there has been a shift in demand from relaxed vacations to activity-oriented trips,? he adds.
Vishal Sinha, COO, TUI India, says, ?Today, people not only want good food and a good hotel to check in, but they are also spending a lot on other paid services in hotels like spa.? TUI is seeing an increase in people going to New Zealand, Bali, Turkey and Indonesia.
As per Jackson Fernandez, managing director, Wego India, a metasearch site, globally Singapore and Dubai are garnering the most interest from travellers. ?In the domestic market, Mahabaleshwar, Ooty, Munnar, Darjeeling, Shimla, Srinagar and Nainital are currently the most popular,? he adds.
A slice of adventure
While increased awareness among travellers, high income and promotion by various countries have led to a rise in the number of people exploring less popular destinations, they are also opting for adventure and sports activities while holidaying.
Phadkar of Thomas Cook says the Indian traveller has taken a quantum leap from the traditional holiday package to a personalised experiential itinerary created around his unique interests. ?The mantra today is ?my holiday, my way?,? she adds.
Thomas Cook India has reported an annual growth of 40-45% in this segment of hobby/interest enthusiasts where adventure and fun experiences seem to be leading the way. Their specially-designed itineraries include snow-mobiling in Canada, alpine hikes and glacier climbs in Switzerland, super car drives and ?Ifly? in Singapore, sightseeing with a twist on horseback or segway in South Africa, and biking and diving vacations in Malaysia.
Uttarakhand, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and the Andamans have remained the most popular adventure destinations locally. ?International hot spots for adventure include New Zealand, South Africa, Australia, Thailand, Malaysia, Switzerland, the United States, Canada and Germany,? adds Padhkar.
While Kuoni India, an outbound destination management company, is seeing an increase in people opting for jungle safaris, MakeMyTrip has been receiving a lot of queries for experiences ranging from self-drive holidays in New Zealand to safaris in Tanzania and F1 racing in Singapore. ?Even on family holidays, the emphasis is on activities that the family can indulge in together (such as hiking, hot-air balloon rides and water sports), says Gupta of Gurgaon-based MakeMyTrip.
Malhotra of TravelRedCarpet.com says holidayers are sassy and looking for a blend of real adventure, fun and rhythmic relaxation all through their vacation. ?In India, it?s Leti 360 (Uttarakhand), Rann of Kutch (Gujarat) and Spiti Valley (Himachal Pradesh), whereas globally, the demand has been for Bigar Waterfalls (Romania), the Maldives and Costa Rica,? he adds.
Today, travellers are shortlisting their destinations on the basis of adventure activities, shopping, food and sightseeing. Yatra?s Ladakh package starts at R34,999 per person for seven nights and eight days, its Turkey package at R61,956 per person for six nights and seven days and the ?best of Scandinavia? at R2,15,799 per person for 12 nights and 13 days.
Big on budget
When it comes to spending, tour operators say some people are also looking for a ?king-size? holiday rather than a budget deal. While Yatra is seeing an increase of 16% in people?s budgets over the past one year, TravelRedCarpet.com is seeing a jump of 10-15%.
??Live-life-king-size? is the new philosophy. Customers no longer care about pennies when it comes to having a dinner with their beloved. What they care for is the million-dollar smile on their little ones? faces,? says Malhotra of TravelRedCarpet.com.
Padhkar of Thomas Cook says Indians are becoming one of the highest ?spenders? overseas, not just on shopping, but also on dining and in-depth experiential sightseeing tours and add-on elements.
Top summer getaways
DOMESTIC
Goa: Indulge in the laidback ?sun, sea and sand? way of vacations; immerse yourself in the vibrant music of the region. Revel in the splendid beaches, relax at the spas, partake in water sports and experience the buzzing night life.
Kerala: Experience the exotic Ayurveda spa centres, undertake trekking across the lush hill stations and stay at the enchanting houseboats in the backwaters. The scrumptious local cuisine is a bonus.
Ladakh: Go for sightseeing at Shanti Stupa; stay overnight in the Nubra Valley and at the Pangong lake; visit a local school or go shopping; attend a Tangkha painting class; be a part of
the morning prayers at
Thiksey Monastery.
The Andamans: A perfect destination to unwind and unleash the adventurist within. Apart from the picturesque views, have a once-in-a-lifetime experience by undertaking in activities such as scuba diving, snorkelling, and sport fishing.
Kashmir: Visit the meadow of flowers and the shimmering
Dal Lake; enjoy vistas of snow-capped mountains and green valleys; stay in shikaras.
GLOBAL
Europe: London is passe; spend time in places such as Paris, Rome, Barcelona, Dublin and Amsterdam, among others. There is something for every traveller?s taste here, whether you prefer culture and history, serious partying, or just the relaxing charm of an old European city.
The Maldives: Be it the artificial beach located in the eastern side of Male, the Whale Submarine, the dive sites or the historic monuments, the Maldives has something for every traveller. Go to Thila for some exciting water sports.
South Africa: Choosing where to go in South Africa is like selecting places to visit on a global tour?each region is different. Take your pick?from the sparkling city of Cape Town, the bottle-green hills of the Cape Winelands, safaris in the wild reserves of Kruger and Madikwe to the ?fantasyland? of Sun City.
Turkey: Be it the crystal-clear waters in the adorable southwestern coastal town of Kas?famous for paragliding over the picturesque mountains, the vibrant and unmissable city of Istanbul, the natural wonders of Pamukkale or the fairy chimneys of Cappadocia, there are a plenty of options to choose from in Turkey.
Brazil: When the football World Cup is around, can Brazil be left far behind? Apart from soccer, go for the lovely beaches and festivities in the country such as the lively samba dance.
Top offbeat destinations
DOMESTIC
Northeastern states: The tea plantations of Assam, safaris in Kaziranga, patchwork of hill tribes amid seemingly endless mountain ranges in Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh, and the hilly terrains of Meghalaya and Nagaland are a must-visit. The exotic food of the region is another draw.
Peora, Uttarakhand: Peora is one of the finest destinations for eco-tourism. Go for treks to Mukteswar, Almora, Ramgarh or the riverside. It is also an ideal site to spot leopards, wild cats and barking deer, among others.
Pabbar Valley, Himachal Pradesh: With mountains, streams and lakes, Pabbar Valley is a paradise for travellers. Go for the adventure activities such as trekking in Kuper Valley and Chanshal. There are options for jeep safaris and nature walks as well as fishing on the banks of the Pabbar river.
Rann of Kutch, Gujarat: The area is divided into Little Rann and Greater Rann. Check out the wildlife sanctuaries, where you can take jeep safaris. They include trips to ancient monuments and inland salt works.
Spiti Valley, Himachal Pradesh: Try the mountain ropeway at Chichum, a hike to Key Monastery or a visit to Dhankar Lake, among others. The Pin valley and the Spiti river on a moonlit night is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
GLOBAL
Oman: Visit a turtle reserve, go for diving, snorkelling, horse-riding or sea tours. Visit the Al-Hoota cave; Bahla Fort, one of the most comprehensive walled cities; and the Mutrah Souq Bazaar, among others.
Antarctica: Though there are no restaurants, shops, theatres or nightclubs, Antarctica today gets about 28,000 tourists every year, more than three times the number 15 years ago. Watch penguins from an arm?s length, swim at Deception Bay, take small boat trips to see icebergs, visit Lemaire Channel or go for kayaking and camping.
Cambodia: Visit Angkor Wat, widely believed as the largest religious structure in the world, or experience the natural splendour of Tonle Sap Lake, one of the world?s largest freshwater lakes; go to Bamboo Island off the Sihanoukville?s coast. Also, try the casinos in Sihanoukville.
Vietnam: Check out the stunning Ha Long Bay, a Unesco World Heritage Site, or the beautifully quaint Hoi An to Ho Chi Minh?s mausoleum. You can also try the Cu Chi tunnels and War Remnants Museum. For the spiritual lot, there is the
Hue Monuments and the
My Son Sanctuary.
New Zealand: A perfect destination for people who love adventure. Experience bungee jumping, sky diving, caving and canyoning. Off-road driving tracks and wildlife encounters are also an essential part of the New Zealand package.
