TravTalk India Online Magazine
India’s Outbound Travel Surges: DreamSetGo leads the way, curating unparalleled sports experiences for discerning travellers. With a focus on the MISE (Meetings, Incentives, Sports & Experiences) segment and unique experiential offerings, the shift from sightseeing to immersive sports journeys drives industry growth.
TT Bureau
Growing rapidly under the radar, India’s appetite for outbound travel has been turning several eyeballs. Registering a 190 per cent rise in outbound travel, India leads the Asian continent with over 10 million foreign trips, according to the report published by IPK International and published in ITB Berlin 2024. Framing an understanding on the basis of this exponential increase along with the change in consumer travel patterns, it is easy to understand how sports experiences will push India’s outbound travel appetite even further.
Post pandemic, the influence the sports market has had on outbound tourism cannot be understated. According to a report by market analysts Future Market Insights (FMI), Sports travellers account for 10-12 per cent of the entire outbound travel market post the pandemic – Five years ago, this number was noted to be barely 5-7 per cent.
Founded with a vision to increase accessibility for Indians to sporting events and contributing to nation building in the process, DreamSetGo has come a long way since its inception in 2020 and has grown significantly in the past 2-3 years. A sports experience platform, DreamSetGo seeks to innovate and curate lasting experiences with fans alongside their favourite teams, players and tournaments. Growing from strength to strength, DreamSetGo is a member of the DreamSports family that houses iconic brands like Dream11 and Fancode; has been instrumental in developing and facilitating Indian accessibility to key sporting events. In 2021, the company was acquired by Dream Sports, a sports technology company and the parent company of India’s biggest sports gaming platform. With the guidance and network of the Dream Sports ecosystem, DreamSetGo continues to grow.
As the company continues to grow in the post-pandemic world, corporate travel with a sporty twist has emerged as a key focus area. Focusing on the MISE segment – DreamSetGo looks to facilitate travel for the top 10-15 percentile of traveller profiles. The company offers a wide range of services, including travel management, event planning, and incentive travel. Today, discerning travellers are looking for unique and experiential travel options rather than traditional sightseeing tours. With budgets not factoring as a major constraint, individuals from this sector are willing to spend on unique experiences and as a result the innovative factor of the service from an accessibility, attraction, and accommodation point of view needs to match expectations.
At DreamSetGo, they pride on delivering ‘money can’t buy’ experiences with the greatest premium hospitality access, athlete meets and greets, and private charters with sports legends. “Today’s customers crave more than just a culinary journey; they yearn for remarkable venues that elevate their overall experience. The shift from menu to venue highlights the growing importance of immersive and unforgettable moments,” says Amit Vyas, Head – MICE & Sports Travel, DreamSetGo. The shift in customer preferences from the traditional ‘sightseeing’ approach to one that is experiential and layered with sports has allowed them to innovate and capture a significant market in the sector. With offerings that include High Tea with Sourav Ganguly at the Lord’s Stadium, a private yacht dinner planned with Brett Lee in Australia, a DSG Diwali party with Venkatesh Prasad, Aamir Sohail, Mike Hussey and Gautam Bhimani during the ICC T20 World Cup in Australia, current and potential clients are guaranteed an experience like no other. In the recent past, they hosted a holistic experience at ICC Women’s T20 World Cup South Africa 2023 to ensure the clients have the best sporting experience as well as with Manchester United, hosting one of their leading corporates to watch the live match between the Red Devils and Fulham.
In the past 12 months alone, DreamSetGo has facilitated more than 5,000 Indian sports travellers to major sporting events like the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Australia 2022, F1 Experiences, Wimbledon Championships, and the FIFA World Cup. Working alongside several other high profile international sporting entities to curate personalised experiences away from the usual match day experience, DreamSetGo also has partnerships with Manchester United, On Location, ICC Travel & Tours, and Rugby World Cup 2023.
As customer demand and mindset shift continues to dictate the experience, they are certain that this year will provide an excellent opportunity for the cross-border sports tourism industry to thrive. As there continues to be a significant untapped market for outbound luxury sports travel in India due to the niche nature of the industry, a need to constantly innovate new offerings will be key to standing out and bridging the knowledge gap. As the second half of 2023 looks promising from a sporting event perspective, DreamSetGo hopes to facilitate sports experiences for more than 10,000 people by the end of the year.
