TravTalk India Online Magazine
Millennials are believed to be the first to travel when international borders open and commercial flights to and from India resume. Destinations and tour operators already have plans in place to lure this segment that is expected to travel to quiet and new regions, with targeted offerings and experiences.
Nisha Verma
Amongst the many expectations from this year is the start of international travel. India’s travel trade experts believe that the first ones to undertake such a journey would be millennials. As they talk about the different destinations they have to cater to the anticipated demand from millennials when borders finally open, these experts also educate us on how they are preparing themselves to receive these travellers.
Destination offerings
Vishal Bhatia, Country Manager, India, VisitBritain, says, “‘Daydreaming with VisitBritain’ is a campaign we are currently hosting on our website and promoting through our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter channels. In addition, we are also hosting ‘Travel Hangovers’ every Friday on Instagram.”
Close neighbour Ireland is also not leaving any stone unturned. Huzan Fraser Motivala, India Representative, Tourism Ireland, shares that they are aware that post-pandemic millennials would be the first ones to travel. “We feel that Ireland would be a great fit for the millennial segment since they look at experiencing unexplored, natural, unique and niche destinations. Post-pandemic self-drive tours, less-crowded attractions and destinations will be popular. Adventure activities are always popular with the millennials and Ireland has some unique experiences and activities including kayaking, sea cliff climbing, glamping, lighthouse stay, horse riding on the beach, Irish whiskey trails, Irish food trails, etc. As far as accommodation is concerned, Ireland has great B&B, self-catering, Irish holiday hostels and youth accommodations along with some luxury properties.” In fact, she adds that holidaymakers to UK can have an extended trip to Ireland as the British Irish Visa Scheme allows for travel to and around Ireland and the UK on a single visa.
On the Asian side of the world, Indonesia claims to have various tourism destinations that could surely cater to millennials. “We have adventure tours with the iconic Komodo Dragons and enchanting beaches, beautiful marine life for divers and amazing mountains for hikers. We also have nightlife entertainment that will surely attract millennials,” believes Dr R Sigit Witjaksono, Director of Tourism Marketing for East, South and Central Asia Region, Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, Republic of Indonesia.
Another favourite for Indian travellers is Thailand. Vachirachai Sirisumpan, Director, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), New Delhi, agrees that millennials would be a potential segment to travel outbound. “TAT India Offices, both New Delhi and Mumbai, have been promoting Thailand online with travel bloggers and other trade partners. Thailand has a variety of products and services to meet with millennials’ desires, experiences and expectations. During this time of travel restrictions, we have introduced new destinations which are less-visited by young Indian millennials such as diving in Koh Tao or a trekking trip in Chiang Mai,” he informs.
Sharing her view on the Dubai market, Priyanka Nijhawan, Director, Dubai Tourism India Representative Office, believes that the emirate has something to offer to all with Dubai Shopping Festival (which started on December 17, 2020)that attracts shoppers from around the world. “The city also organised the 30 x 30-day fitness challenge which attracted a lot of youth. Located in the foothills of the Hajar Mountains, the hidden gem of Hatta has also been popularised in recent times. The city is prepared with exciting deals, offers, raffles and much more to entice millennials from India. Moreover, Dubai is inching towards becoming a 6 or 7-day destination. With this, Dubai continuously attracts adventure seekers, off-beat travellers and honeymooners who can explore the city at its best,” she says.
Arvind Bundhun, Director, Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority (MTPA), also claims the island nation has many authentic experiences to offer to millennials. “Mauritius is ideally set up for water-sport lovers, whether below the surface such as scuba diving and undersea walking, on the surface as with snorkelling, or above the water like kitesurfing, kayaking and fly-boarding. An amazing submarine trip to the deep mystery of the sea is also a one-of-a-kind experience. Mauritius also offers adrenaline-pumping land activities like skydiving, zip lining, quad biking, hiking, trekking and cycling. Besides, Mauritius offers a chance to walk with lions or swim with dolphins, liked by millennials. Some more popular experiences are tour of the Rhumerie (rum factory), a winery or a brewery. There are also some fabulous golf courses in Mauritius and the island makes for a superb golf holiday. Further, Mauritius is an enchanting and perfect place for Instagrammers,” he reveals.
With mobile technology continuing to play an increasing role in tourism as the number of millennials travelling increases each year, MTPA launched the ‘Discover Mauritius’ all-in-one travel guide App to promote the culture and beauty of Mauritius by allowing users to plan their trip to the island.
What do millennials want?
According to Guldeep Singh Sahni, Managing Director, Weldon Tours & Travels, once destinations start opening, millennials will start to travel to destinations they consider safe. “Millennials will be travelling to Australia and New Zealand, as they think these are safe destinations. They might avoid some parts of Europe and might go to Scandinavian countries instead. Islands like Maldives and Mauritius are where people like to go to. Millennials will be selecting areas with fewer COVID cases,” he believes.
In terms of experiences, Sahni shares that they would prefer self-drives, which is easier in the countries he just mentioned. “Even UK will take some time to recover, but it would still be faster since vaccines have started now. Countries in eastern and central Europe will take some numbers. In fact, the experiences that millennials would prefer are not going to be crowded, as they like to go for skydiving, bungee jumping, paragliding, skiing, and other adventure sports, including deep-sea diving. There will also be F1 driving experiences happening this year. However, sports travel will be avoided because there are crowds,”
he shares.
Manish Kriplani, Managing Director, Baywatch Travels, adds, “Most millennials are actually willing to travel to any city that is planning to open its airport. However, there are few who want to stay in the city centre, visit cafés and night clubs, shop, etc. Then, there are groups of those millennials who want to stay in rural areas and wish to take a car and drive into the interiors, stay in a villa or apartment with a kitchen so that they can prepare their own food instead of going out.” He shares that while they are getting mixed reactions, it’s Dubai and the Maldives that have been getting the millennial share in the last few months. When borders open, Kriplani would like to offer them Australia, New Zealand or the Arctic, depending on the season.
Mahendra Vakharia, Managing Director, Pathfinders Holidays, believes that mid-aged travellers are keen and ready to travel. “The trend and preference will be to visit one destination or, at the most, a combination of two destinations, thereby avoiding too much travel, and also avoiding crowded destinations, shared transport, etc. They will travel to wildlife resorts, hill stations and beach destinations. Kenya, Tanzania, Oman, Finland, Iceland, Japan, Australia, etc., will provide these experiences,” he says.
