TravTalk India Online Magazine
With a stronghold in the western region of India, Kesari Tours recorded impressive growth in South India after taking initiatives to promote the company. Its next target is North India.
TT Bureau
The holiday season for Kesari Tours this year has been showing impressive numbers. Himanshu Patil, Director, Kesari Tours, says, “This season is going extremely well. We are seeing a 20 per cent growth in numbers. Again, Europe is the most popular destination with us. Central and Eastern Europe is also gaining popularity.”
Speaking about how the growth has been in the last few years, he says, “In the last two years, we have grown in double digits with 15-18 per cent growth at least. One of the reasons for this is that, we have been doing our best to have maximum presence across all media like digital marketing, radio, print and outdoor activities.”
“We now want to tap the northern states of Uttaranchal, Chhattisgarh, UP and of course, Punjab and enter with a direct presence”
The tour company has already established itself in its home market – western India. It has now trained its focus on the other regions where it does have much presence at the moment. “While we are strong in Maharashtra, our presence in Gujarat is also prominent. Our efforts have shown results and we have also been seeing growth in South India, specially given our Bengaluru market which also caters to the surrounding areas. We now want to tap the northern states like Uttaranchal, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh specially Lucknow and of course, Punjab. We will soon be entering these markets with a direct presence. On our radar now are Lucknow and Chandigarh. Even Raipur has a lot of potential for us and we are working on it. Though we have a Delhi office, we need to focus more on the north region. We are looking at more business coming from the north,” Patil reveals.
He adds that while the Maharashtrian community is a key segment for the tour operator, a lot of people from other communities are also joining Kesari Tours due to its quality service and the trust the company has built. “Our aim is to go pan-India and have no boundary of any state, region or community,” Patil says.
The company also recently celebrated its 34th anniversary for which it organised a blood donation camp and many employees came forward to be part of this noble cause.
Top destinations
Patil says that while the traveller today is approaching with their own selected destination, Europe still remains the popular one. “Initially, it was Western Europe that was popular but now it is Central and Eastern Europe which is gaining traction. Canada is also coming up and so are some of the south American countries. In Asia, on the other hand, the Philippines and Bali particularly are more in demand,” Patil says.
In terms of inbound traffic, he says international tourists usually choose the Golden Triangle which has retained its top position. Spa tourism is also gaining popularity and Kerala has witnessed a huge jump, according to him. “It has now become a year-round destination for inbound. Kashmir too has been steadily growing mostly because the J&K Tourism is taking efforts to promote it. Not to mention the North East states which are also picking up. Earlier, it was only Darjeeling and Gangtok but now all seven sisters are getting popular. People want to explore the lesser-known destinations beyond Darjeeling and Gangtok,” Patil shares.
Major Hotspots
- Initially, Western Europe was popular but Central and Eastern Europe are now gaining traction
- Canada and S American countries are also in demand
