Minted, demanding: meet the new Indian Traveller

ON THE EDGE: Tourists participate in white water rafting in Chenab river. (FILE PHOTO)

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Keywords: Adventure, Economy

New Delhi: With India's spending power on the rise, more and more travellers are now on a lookout for exciting options.

“People are exploring niches. Some would like to do a wine tour, some would like to do a cuisine tour, while some only want adventure. Everyone likes to pick up exactly what they want and that is what is growing now,” TAAI President C V Prasad says.

And just like all other things, one size does not fit all.

“We’ve observed that North Indians generally prefer shopping-cum-relaxed holidays. South Indians, on the other hand, are generally more energetic and want a holiday that offers a full day of sight seeing. They typically also want want to cover a lot of places in a small duration,” TAFI President Praveen Chugh explains.

With the outbound tourist market growing at an annual growth of nearly 25 per cent per annum, tourists have developed unique fancies.

“People come to us and say they want to get their wedding arranged abroad. These kind of demands surprise us,” Director of Tourism Malaysia Manoharan says.

And what is that one thing that the Indian Traveller just can’t live without even when he travels abroad?

“Indians look for Indian food. We thought that Indians who travel abroad will have international tastes but that’s not the case. They love their desi dal,” GM Clubmed Singapore Mumtaz says.

But the demand does not end there. Experts believe that 2009 will see a revolution in the travel market.

“The Indian traveller is going to get more discerning. He's more educated and more knowledgeable about tourism products. Those days when you had first time traveller who did not know his way around have all gone and passed,” SATTE Chief Editor and Chief Coordination Navin S Berry.

Let’s hope the travel operators can cope with the increasing demand from this lucrative sector.