Tuesday, March 5, 2024
The pandemic has reshaped the Indian traveler’s mindset, sparking a fervent embrace of the YOLO (You Only Live Once) philosophy, with a marked tilt towards experiences that allow for deep cultural immersion just like locals do. This shift isn’t just about visiting sacred places; it encompasses a broad spectrum of experiences including adventure, wellness, cuisine, cultural, and historical exploration. Reflecting this trend, Thomas Cook (India) Ltd., a premier omnichannel travel services entity, along with its affiliate, SOTC Travel, reports a doubling in the interest towards spiritual destinations that cater to a rich cultural and adventurous appetite. The recent unveiling of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, bolstered by enhanced connectivity and infrastructure, has sparked a tenfold increase in online interest. In response, these companies are capitalizing on this burgeoning, yet previously untapped sector, by broadening their offerings to include a wide array of both ready-made and customizable tours to spiritual sites across India and neighboring regions.
Traditionally, spiritual voyages in India attracted the older generations, but now Thomas Cook & SOTC are noting an increased interest from a variety of demographics, including multigenerational families, newlyweds, and the youthful vigor of millennials and Generation Z.
Their consumer insights indicate a demand that transcends conventional pilgrimage routes, seeking out unique local engagements. In tune with these desires, Thomas Cook and SOTC have developed ‘Pilgrimage Plus’, a novel offering that marries spiritual visits with exhilarating local activities. This includes mountain biking and paragliding in Vaishno Devi, diving adventures in Rameswaram, river rafting and kayaking in Rishikesh, camping in Uttarakhand, jungle treks in Gujarat, among others, as well as distinctive experiences like sunset boat tours in Varanasi, the Chhau dance performances, observing the Olive Ridley turtles in Odisha, exploring the stepwells of Rani ki Vav in Gujarat, or mastering the martial art of Kalaripayattu in Kerala.
Moreover, their spiritual tourism packages are diversified to include personalized wellness retreats focusing on meditation, yoga, and ayurvedic treatments like the Panchakarma program in Kumarakom, and yoga retreats in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand.
Their spiritual travel portfolio is rich with thematic journeys such as:
Package inclusions comprise:
To further enhance accessibility, Thomas Cook and SOTC offer attractive financing options such as Travel Now Pay Later schemes and interest-free EMIs.
Mr. Rajeev Kale, President & Country Head – Holidays, MICE, Visa, Thomas Cook (India) Limited said “Indians are increasingly drawn to spiritual journeys, more so with the pandemic increasing appreciation for life, in gratitude and to invoke blessings. Spiritual locales are attracting interest from not only seniors and families, but also from the younger segment – millennials and group of friends. With the government’s strong focus on connectivity and infrastructural development, we have seen an uptick of 100% YoY. To tap into this high growth segment, we have expanded our spiritual plus tours to feature a range of popular sites coupled with unique local experiences – across culture, cuisine and outdoor-adventure. Customers can book a hassle-free darshan with us as we seamlessly handle their end-to-end comfort while they focus on their spiritual experience.
To offer customers ease and convenience, we also offer them the choice of Travel Now Pay Later and zero interest EMIs”
Mr. Daniel D’souza President & Country Head – Holidays, SOTC Travel Limited said “Spiritual tourism has witnessed significant growth in India: our data reflects an uptick of 20-30% month- on-month. Over our 75 years as a company, we have witnessed the evolution of Pilgrimages with Indians now combining darshans with leisure and this was the genesis of our extended range of Pilgrimage Plus tours.
Pilgrimage Plus tours provide a spiritual core together with a getaway amidst tranquil nature or in combination with outdoor-adventure and authentic local experiences. Our ready to book and personalized spiritual tours have been designed with care and offer a range of price points to suit every consumer segment.”
Sunday, April 28, 2024
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Monday, April 29, 2024
