‘Everyone is ready to venture out’

Ever optimistic and dynamic leader, Benazir Nazar, CEO, Akbar Holidays, is excited that travel has finally restarted – and how! She believes that people in India are ready to travel, and while a lot of countries have opened up, we also need more flights to start operations to reap the benefits.

Hazel Jain

The millennial travel mindset has changed, said Benazir Nazar, CEO, Akbar Holidays. It is no longer just splurging on shopping and other materialistic things. “Instead, they are spending money on experiences that they can post on Instagram or click aesthetic pictures of a vacation to the Maldives. It is all about services and experiences. For them, it is important to build their confidence in the destination they are planning to visit, given that there is often a sudden change in plans due to Covid,” she said.

Is this shift in trends here to stay? Yes, she said, and experiences are here to stay as well.

“Even if it is as small as dining at a certain restaurant recommended by our team, it is still very important that the service, food and aesthetic are all brilliant. For it is not only for the traveller’s pleasure, but also from a business standpoint. What we have witnessed is that after Covid there was a certain hesitation in travelling to certain countries, which is why the need to educate travellers and provide healthcare at those destinations was a crucial step. This is where our blogs really come into play because they are aimed at putting the travellers’ mind at ease as they have all the information they need and can then plan accordingly,” Nazar added.

It is also very important for destinations to provide easy medical service and hospitalisation, in case travellers run the risk of getting Covid on returning. Thus, informing travellers of such extra care definitely goes a long way when safeguarding their trip, Nazar explained.

“In India, everyone’s already ready to travel. A lot of the countries have opened too, but we need more flights to restart. As far as MICE is concerned, we are looking at a positive outcome with inquiries coming in for group size between 50 to 1,000 pax. All countries with good connectivity or a bubble agreement with India are in demand. As far as wedding destinations go, the Middle Eastern countries such as Dubai, Qatar, and Bahrain are very popular. In terms of domestic destination, it is Rajasthan and Kerala that win hands down,” Nazar shared. Akbar Holidays now offers luxury products, group departures for both domestic and international destinations, theme-specific products, local sightseeing and weekend city experiences.

Good deeds go a long way

Speaking about her own experience, Nazar said, “Keeping the company going as a businesswoman, especially through a pandemic that devastated so many travel companies, has been a real eye-opening experience where humanity is once again reminded that reality is extremely frail and during these tough times.”

“I’m sure every business person would agree, that having people back you up, even if it is just your staff, is nothing less than a shining glimmer of hope. So that’s definitely a key takeaway that no matter how successful you are, always be a good person to everyone around,” she added.

She believes that to keep excelling in a man’s world, women are always multi-tasking.

“We have already outdone ourselves in different fields and everyone has a witness to that. But also in the travel space, we do see a huge number of women joining in. So yes, my experience would be like every other businessperson, full of trials and errors, but still making something right and successfully out of it,” she said.

“I would like to say to every and any newcomer to the travel space that there’s nothing like normalcy; the space is ever changing and evolving with everyday occurrences in several parts of the world, be it a heavy storm or bad weather. For you need to have the audacity to face it upfront with a solution that assures safety without taking away any excitement from your traveller’s journey. So be brave and don’t hesitate to voice your ideas,” she added.