The fall in rupee had stymied holiday plans for Sajal Kumar Das, owner of a mid-sized IT company, around the middle of last year. Das had every intention to take his family to Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore during the summer vacation of his two sons. As Das recalls now, that was the time when Indian rupee declined around 9.22 per cent compared with the Singapore dollar, 5.93 against the Thai Baht and 7.34 per cent compared with the Malaysian Ringgit. He eventually had to opt for some unexplored domestic destinations rather than spending so much extra on his proposed international trips.
“Das is not alone. When the local currency goes on a downslide, travellers may not necessarily cancel their plans but indeed look for domestic vacations that would be much cheaper. There are some who go on a wait and watch mode. The trend otherwise is that Indian travellers are increasingly preferring overseas destinations,” Asit Biswas, managing director, Help Tourism, a professional vacation planner company, tells Financial Chronicle.
According to a recent study by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham), Indian tourist outflows have registered a significant decline to the extent of 15-20 per cent in just two months during the middle of the last year due to the falling rupee.
This is where the importance of vacation planning comes in. According to Biswas, most middle-income groups during times such as that when rupee was sharply depreciating, look at options to offset the incremental costs by choosing shorter duration stays and budget accommodation options.
This is appropriate for exceptional situations like a significant fall in rupee value. But, otherwise, travellers are increasingly looking for reliable, familiar services every time.
For some travellers, only global hotel brands can provide this reassurance. Consider what InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has to say following its recent study.
“The expectations of 21st century travellers are evolving — and the standards expected of global hotel brands are high. In the past, the hospitality industry has traditionally focused on how to be 2D (two dimensional) — global and local. This research shows that given the rapid rise of technology-enabled personalisation, travellers now want hotel brands that are 3D (three dimensional) — global, local and personal,” the IHG study titled ‘The new kinship economy’ said. The study shows that travellers — be it in India or elsewhere — are reshaping their expectations of global hotel brands and are now looking for hotels to not only deliver consistently good service and to reflect local trends and customs, but to also tailor their stays to meet their personal preferences. According to the research, travellers’ expectations of tailored experiences at every touch-point are increasing.
“Whether in New York or New Delhi, people are increasingly looking for reliable, familiar services every time. For many travellers, only global hotel brands can provide this reassurance, with nearly three in four (almost 75 per cent) saying global hotel brands are more likely to be consistent and more than half saying they like knowing what to expect (60 per cent),” the study said.
If this study report is anything to go by, the modern traveller trusts global brands to deliver on a promise of quality and consistency. They also increasingly expect these same brands to deliver localised and personalised experiences, whether they are travelling for business or leisure — to experience truly 3D brands. And Indian travellers are no exception.
Staying with leading global hotel brands may prove to be a relatively expensive affair than staying other places. But in today’s context, people don’t mind paying if services and amenities being offered meet their satisfaction level. At least that’s what Biswas of Help Tourism, says.
People now expect products and services in all aspects of their lives to be completely personalised and the travel industry is no exception. The travellers are increasingly demanding more from their hotel experience — they want authentic and exciting experiences as well as the comforts of home, wherever in the world they are. “With this new paradox of desires for both innovation and consistency, we always try to send our clients to places where there is a higher degree of localisation and personalisation. For instance, when we send our clients to neighbouring countries like Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia and so on, we make sure that they are put up in places which offer the best of modern amenities coupled with a dash of ethnicity and local flavour. Just to give you an example, when we send clients to Machan Paradise at Chitwan in Nepal, travellers do not only get the most luxurious stay, but are also enthralled with local Tharu dance, canoeing, elephant washing and bathing, to mention a few. And believe you me, travellers just love it,” says Biswas. And they love it even if it pinches their pockets more than staying in an otherwise decent hotel.
Today’s hyper-connected, hyper-informed Indian travellers use multiple-screens to research more, plan better and share on the go. That’s a significant new trend when it comes to vacation planning. The Indian travel planner goes through a variety of resources around destination research, like browsing through pictures on social networks (74 per cent), reading trip information on travel sites apps (56 per cent) and watching videos about destinations (52 per cent).
Google India recently got a study done by IPSOS titled ‘Multi-screen traveller’. The study was conducted to understand the behaviour of smartphone users in India and its impact on the travel vertical — focusing on a target group that uses multiple devices to get online for their travel-related needs. The study revealed that 76 per cent users use both computer and mobile across the travel stages (dreaming, researching, booking, experience, sharing) while 60 per cent users move from one device to another when they switch from researching to booking. Out of the 1,500-plus leisure travellers surveyed, 87 per cent users said that they have used mobile phones to do research about their trips and 66 per cent respondents also booked a trip element on it and 60 per cent said that the information they find while researching on their mobile phones influences their booking decision.
In terms of triggers for holiday planning, online sources were rated higher than offline mediums with internet getting five touch points in comparison to offline, which offered two touch points. The biggest triggers for holiday destinations/planning were online pictures — where 88 per cent users said that online pictures trigger their holiday planning. Browsing pictures on social networks, blogs, travel sites also get users to start thinking of their next vacation destination.
A top Google India official said that the study also looked at the booking behaviour of smartphone and tablet users. The tour and tavel agencies or professional vacation planners may not like it, but the study suggested that 66 per cent respondents said that they’ve booked using a mobile phone and 69 per cent on a tablet. While the absolute numbers of transactions is low in the real world, the report does indicate the growing trend of bookings being completed on mobile devices from mature users. From the respondents — 36 per cent users said that they booked a flight on a mobile, while 25 per cent have booked a hotel room and 13 per cent have submitted a holiday lead from their mobile device. The study also revealed significant cross-device attribution. Out of 87 per cent who researched on their mobile phones, 76 per cent booked on mobile and 80 per cent booked on a computer as well. Concerns around security were cited as the biggest barrier for booking on mobile.
This mobile-revolution in the travel industry has also opened new vista for Indian travellers. They now have larger exposures, wider access to knowledge, information and easier access to exotic vacation plans. As a result, another significant new trend is that an increasing number of Indian travellers are opting for exotic cruises abroad — exploring historic Europe, drinking in the splendour of the Alaskan wilderness, enjoying alfresco dining amidst Bermuda’s ocean breezes or getting awe-struck by some of the most breath-taking beaches in the Caribbean.
Ratna Chadha, chief executive of TIRUN Travel Marketing and India’s representative for Royal Caribbean Cruises says, “Celebrity Cruises offer an inimitable experience to those who value the nuances of luxury and such initiatives strengthen the brand’s value proposition for Indian guests. There are lots of special promotional packages (either it’s special discount on cruise fares or more rewarding experience with each travel) being offered to Indians and these special offers give Indian travellers exceptional saving opportunities while exploring the luxury of the cruise line and the most exotic destinations of the world.”
So, whenever you are up to your next vacation planning, make sure that you choose the right one, one that offers value for money.
ritwikmukherjee@mydigitalfc.com
Planning a vacation? Look for a value-for-money deal
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