Campervanning is gradually picking up in India

Saturday, July 16, 2022

Campervanning is a common sight in the west for decades. It became a symbol of freedom in the 1960s. The idea of staying in a vehicle during a holiday is, however, unfamiliar to majority of Indians. In a country with an increasingly hopeful middle class, hotels have conventionally been the first choice for most travelers. Adyasha Das, Associate Professor at the Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management opined that if anyone stays in a van, they are thought to be slumming it. Bad road conditions and the lack of campsites are also major impediments.

However, all these are gradually changing. At least nine companies are providing campervans for rent. These companies have started their operations across India since 2016, including three in 2020. As India’s tourism sector is striving to re-establish itself after losing 14.5 million jobs in the wake of the pandemic, campervanning has turned out to be a source of sustenance, said the travel professionals.

Bengaluru-based LuxeCamper has collaborated with an eco-lodge business allowing caravans at its 15 locations across Karnataka. Harsh Sharma, the Co-founder of Camping Co, based in Guwahati, said that his company’s fleet was fully booked in May this year, compared to the 60% occupancy during the equivalent month in 2019.

Other start-ups in campervanning comprise MotoGlampers in Chattisgarh and the Delhi-based Carvaa. Better roads and the accessibility of mobile coverage in major parts of India have led to this betterment in campervanning.

« Back to Page