In what will be a first for the Indian aviation industry, the country?s second largest low-cost carrier SpiceJet is planning to offer a complete tour package to tourist hotspots in states such as Goa, Kerela, Jammu & Kashmir and Karnataka. In line with the trend with international destinations, the package will be complete with air travel, hotel bookings and trip planning. The carrier is looking at using the tool to differentiate its offerings from the rest.
Anish Srikrishna, senior vice-president, marketing, SpiceJet told FE that the company is pursuing talks with hotel chains and various tourism boards. The company has already tied-up with the Trident chain of hotels and Ista Hotels. Currently, only full-service carrier offers similar services for a trip to Kerela.
?Offering a complete tour package will free our travellers completely from the hassles of trip planning be it finding suitable hotels to stay in or other travel related issues,? he said. Through the service, the company is targeting railways passengers who would upgrade to air looking at the convenience offered.
On cards are pilgrimage destinations and hotspots in the north-east part of the country. Initially the service will be launched in Goa, Kerela, Jammu & Kashmir and Karnataka and will subsequently be expanded to the entire country. ?With the full-service carriers converting a majority of their capacity to low-cost, it is very difficult to differentiate the offerings. So, we are looking at several value-adds and tour package is one of them,? he said.