TravTalk India Online Magazine
Abdul Salim, Director – Sales and Marketing, Gateways Group of DMCs in Europe, shares insights on the company’s plans for 2025, highlighting the growing demand for European travel among Indians.
TT Bureau
Gateways of Europe (GoE) is a prominent DMC for Europe. In an exclusive with TRAVTALK, Abdul Salim, Director – Sales & Marketing, Gateways Group of DMCs in Europe, said, “We serve our guests from all over Asia – Middle East, Southeast Asia and India, which is our largest market.”
Sharing his views on the India market, Salim said, “It’s huge. There are too many FTOs in the outbound segment and the business is not only concentrated in the metros. We target the tier II and III cities too. Indian food is a big criterion for clients but there is a growing demand for local cuisines, as well as travellers are getting adventurous and want to have a more local experience.” However, the India market is not without its challenges. Salim said, “Visas have been a challenge, but it has gotten much better these days. The biggest challenge today is about the bookings coming in late. For Europe, the name of the game is booking early and securing the best deals. Secondly, the hotels, transporters and even sightseeing companies these days are heavy on cancellation charges. So, we need to work on these issues.”
Predicting the future of travel to Europe, whether groups or FITs will take off, Salim said, “On a larger scale, it will definitely be FITs as travellers are getting more confident to travel independently with the help of technology. But from the travel fraternity’s perspective, it will be groups. Europe is the only destination where there is a significant advantage of over 50 per cent on cost for groups as against the FIT segment.” Highlighting some of the new countries that are gaining popularity among Indian travellers, he added, “Scandinavia and Finland during the winters have become very popular these days. The Baltics and Balkans are now getting explored by both leisure and MICE groups.”
