Demand drives decision

Destination management company Eastbound quickly changed gears to adapt to the rising demand for domestic products and mitigate the pandemic’s impact on inbound travel.

Nisha Verma

As was for most others, year 2020 was a challenging time at Eastbound, too. Prrithviraj Singh, its Co-founder & Director, says that as unprecedented as the event was, it certainly prepared them for any curveball in the future. Hence, realising that inbound tourism could well be the last segment to recover, Eastbound started focusing on domestic products.

“From highlighting locations that were least affected by the pandemic to introducing market strategies that kept safety at the forefront, we have beentrying to ride out the storm in the best way possible. We are putting strict measures in place to ensure that we are well-equipped to conduct all future tours responsibly. The buzz words for us are sanitisation, customisation and partner clearances. We will keep a strict control on all three counts, and any negligence shall strictly be monitored and be non-negotiable,” says Singh.

Eastbound has developed a comprehensive manual on crisis management that it claims will be strictly adhered to in-house, and that all its partners will also be asked to comply with. “It includes a code of conduct for tour operators and all participating tour guides, drivers, local experience providers, hotel partners and even guests. Masks, use of sanitisers and social distancing will continue to be the norm, and travel partners will be chosen on their ability and commitment to mitigate the risk of the virus,” he elaborates.

Optimistic on the future of inbound tourism, Singh says, “The news of the vaccine has returned confidence in travel. It is only a matter of time before inbound tourism begins to pick up, too. Hopefully, the second half of 2021 will witness arrivals in good numbers.”