Demand for experience holidays and luxury accommodation is helping the UK market to India develop. Joanna Booth hears from some specialist tour operators
The British love affair with India shows no signs of abating, with new itineraries in lesser-known areas springing up and old favourites still popular.
Flight access is increasingly easy. British Airways and Virgin Atlantic have scaled up their flights in the past few years, and this year Indian carrier Kingfisher launched its first international route connecting London Heathrow and Bangalore.
Tropical Locations has just launched its first India Brochure, taking the best of its parent company Western and Oriental’s existing tours and adding a number of new programmes.
Western and Oriental group head of product David Kevan said: “Clients are moving away from simple one-centre beach holidays to more experience-based vacations. India fits this profile, and as such has massive potential.”
Kirker’s bookings in India over the past few weeks have been 10% up on last year, and Travel 2 has also seen considerable growth, leading to an expansion of its programme.
Travel 2 Asia product manager Helen Beedle said: “Varanasi, Rajasthan and Kerala are still top of our visitor wish list, but travellers are realising that India is not just for those hitting the backpacker trail – clients can choose to travel in comfort and style.”
Thomas Cook Holidays Division long haul product manager Michael Thurston also reports an increase in demand for high quality accommodation, especially in Goa. “Goa still maintains a strong appeal for the budget-conscious traveller but now also caters for families and clients after a more luxurious holiday.”
High-end accommodation is becoming more common in India, with a range of new openings.
- Taj Safaris runs two new luxury lodges in the Panna and Kahna National Parks.
- The Leela is a family-owned group with luxury hotels in Bangalore, Mumbai, Kerala and Goa. Over the next three years it will open new hotels in Delhi, Udaipur, Pune, Hyderabad and Chennai.
- Neeleshwar Hermitage is an eco-friendly five-star hotel and spa in northern Kerala. Right on the Malabar coast, it features bio energy, solar panels, organic gardens and water harvesting.
A more unusual way of seeing the ‘real’ India is also emerging, as operators including Explore and Tropical Locations offer travellers homestays with an India family. Earlier this year Mahindra Homestays launched, offering a range of properties all over India.
While the traditionally popular tours in Rajasthan’s Golden Triangle and Kerala sell resolutely well, new areas are also seeing interest, especially from those who are visiting India for the second or third time.
Explore’s Asia product manager Caroline Phillips said: “Tours to lesser known corners of the country are selling really well at the moment – say trekking in Sikkim and along the Singalia Ridge – or doing more unusual-style trips, like volunteering combined with touring.”
Other tour operators also report that the breathtaking landscapes of the Himalayas in the north are proving a draw. Cosmos and On The Go have noticed a growth in the popularity of add-on four-day breaks to colonial Shimla in the foothills.
More operators are also twinning India with the neighbouring Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, with Cosmos, Tropical Locations, Bales Worldwide and Exsus featuring the country.
Tour operators: What’s new?
Tropical Locations
The new India brochure includes The Sunderbans and Heritage Cruise, a 10-day itinerary through the largest mangrove ecosystem in the world and the unexplored tribal area of Chattisgarh, an 11-day horse safari in Rajasthan’s Aravalli Hills and a cruise down the Brahmaputra river.
Travel 2
Travel 2 has introduced a 12-day Taj, Temples and the Sacred Ganges tour, including the Golden Triangle and Udaipur, for £1,299 per person, excluding international flights. Animal lovers can extend this with the new four-day Tigers of Ranthambore programme, from £265 per person, including four jungle safari drives with a local naturalist.
Cosmos Tourama
Cosmos Tourama has launched a 16-day escorted tour around northern India and Bhutan. Highlights include city tours of Calcutta, Gangtok and Thimpu, a boat ride on the river Hoogly, a visit to a tea plantation and to the Ghoom Monastery to see the Maitreya Buddha. Prices start from £2,355 including all flights, transfers, full board accommodation and a local guide throughout.
Somak
For the 2008-2009 winter season, Somak has launched a luxury Goa e-brochure. There’s a range of offers on holidays departing from Manchester and Gatwick, including half-price room upgrades for those who choose premium economy flights. The e-brochure can be accessed from somak.co.uk, and agents can contact Somak for free overbranding.
Bales Worldwide
New from Bales in 2009-2010 is a 14-day South India Discovery tour visiting the Malabar Coast, the unspoilt rainforests of the Western Ghats, the Nagarhole National Park, Mysore, Ooty and Kochi. Prices start at £2,395. There’s also cruising in the Sunderbans, tailor-made tours of little-known Orissa, and the Golden Chariot, a luxury train through southern India.
