TravTalk India Online Magazine
Gopal Kapoor, Director, Dook International, gave insights about the shifting trends of travel agents and the changing demands of Indian travellers. He also highlighted the initiatives executed by Dook International to boost business, and the plan to expand portfolio.
TT Bueau
To accelerate its business in 2024, Dook International, with its modern and cutting-edge technologies, has re-launched a B2B portal where travel agents can book departures, hotels, flights, meals etc. The company aims to provide an integrated platform that can act as a one-stop shop for travellers from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). In addition to that, Dook has recently added Belarus to its portfolio to entice Indians who want to travel visa-free. Dook has plans to expand further and add more destinations to meet the demands of more tourists.
M!CE is big
In relation to the M!CE business, Gopal Kapoor, Director, Dook International, mentioned, “We have helped travel agents operate more than a thousand incentive groups till now and itineraries greatly vary from client to client except for duration which is typically three to four nights.” As travel agents look for a varied range of itineraries, Dook International has observed a change in the trend, especially in the segment of M!CE groups travelling with families. Such clients demand destinations that have exclusive attractions for kids. To cater to this segment, Dook generally proposes Baku, Almaty and Turkey as they have multiple offerings, which could be fun for kids.
Indian leisure travellers
Dook International has observed a shift in the demand of leisure travellers. Nowadays, leisure travellers are asking for longer and more inclusive itineraries with local experiences. They demand to visit places, which can offer local cuisines, and experience local culture along with the opportunity to interact with local or native people. Kapoor underscored, “We have witnessed a new trend recently that Indians want to travel with groups comprising of travellers of different nationalities. To cater to this requirement of travellers, we have launched group tours which can be joined by travellers of any country.”
Emerging Destinations
When asked about the emerging popular destinations among Indian travellers as per Dook International data, Kapoor replied, “CIS destinations including Tashkent, Almaty, Baku, Tbilisi, and Yesrevan are gaining popularity among Indian travellers owing to short flying duration and ease in the visa process.” For them, post-COVID there are more enquiries for longer itineraries which were unlikely earlier. These changes in customer’s demand showcases that the Indian travel industry is back on track after the pandemic with a few tweaks in the way people used to travel.
