After being one of the worst-hit sectors in the pandemic for close to two years, travel and tourism industry is finally seeing a recovery. Strong pent up demand, along with easing of domestic restrictions in the face of limited reopening of international borders, has brought Indian destinations into the spotlight, travel companies say. Places like Leh-Ladakh, Kashmir, Himachal, Uttarakhand, Andamans, Kerala, North East, Goa, and Gujarat are some of the most preferred travel locations post the opening up of the industry.
Travel and tourism giant Thomas Cook India has seen a significant surge of 500 per cent in July as compared to a low base of last year. But even month-on-month the company saw a 150 per cent growth in India.
“Our domestic bookings have already crossed our pre-pandemic levels and this in just 9 months of 2021. Our forward pipeline is robust, propelled by the upcoming festive season (over 5x growth over 2020), with key segments being multi-generational family units, young professionals/millennials and couples/honeymooners,” said Rajeev Kale, President and Country Head (Holidays, MICE, Visa), Thomas Cook India.
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The company says that it is not just seeing a surge in demand from the metros but also from mini-metros like Pune and Tier 2 and 3 markets like Jaipur, Lucknow, Indore, Madurai, Kochi, Nagpur, Aurangabad, etc. A lot of people, travel companies say, prefer socially-distant travel options.
“With the pandemic ushering in focus on travel options away from crowds, we have created demand for outdoor/adventure elements via the launch of our unique and exciting biking trips to destinations like Leh, Srinagar, Manali, Sikkim, and South India and we are seeing uptick from diverse segments like millennials and c-suite head honchos. To push the envelope further, we have incorporated truly eclectic and non-standard accommodation including stays in havelis, forts,…