With mercury levels beginning to increase, people in Tamil Nadu are exploring newer domestic and international destinations for their travel plans apart from the regular tours to Europe and Australia.
Youngsters, especially those working in the IT sector, are evaluating shorter travel plans to destinations which offer them innovative activities along with a nature tour. Companies and start-ups in the business of tours and travel pointed out that this year there is more demand and inquiries from tier-2 and tier-3 towns of Tamil Nadu too.
“We are excited with the trends emerging from Tamil Nadu with fresh, new destinations seeing high demand - like our Arctic Circle tours with Iceland, while experiencing the unique Northern Lights phenomenon,” said Santhosh Kanna, Senior Vice President - Leisure Travel, Thomas Cook (India) Limited.
“Equally, Japan is seeing a high demand along with Korea for the picturesque Cherry Blossom/Sakura season with specially-curated cuisine elements and spa-wellness in traditional Onsen hot springs/Jimjilbang therapeutic mud baths. Our Japan with Korea tours are trending well with demand from our Tamil Nadu source market, up by 20% when compared to last year,” he added. Mr.Kanna also highlighted that while momentum from Chennai is robust, it is the State’s tier 2-3 cities, including Madurai, Coimbatore, Salem and Tiruchi that are driving growth.
Hari Ganapathy, co-founder of PickYourTrail, a travel startup said: “Summer travel into Hong Kong is something we forecast. Africa is another fast growing market. Japan is also breaking out.”
Swaminathan S, co-founder of Exoticamp, explained how demand for the camping sector has picked up this season. “Bookings commenced in early March, and we’ve witnessed a tripling in numbers since then. Compared to the 500 families who reserved their camping holidays in March last year, we’ve already reached 1,500 families this year. With vacation time approaching, we anticipate an even greater surge in bookings,” he said. He went to add that the camping sector has seen a surge in popularity as individuals seek unconventional ways to enjoy their vacations in the lap of nature.
“Tamil Nadu’s implementation of specific camping regulations has played a pivotal role in boosting people’s confidence in choosing such unique getaways. Additionally, the transformation of campsites into facilities with resort-like amenities has made them an appealing choice for those who wish to immerse themselves in nature with ease, without sacrificing comfort,” Mr. Swaminathan said adding that for shorter trips, locations like Jawadhu, Kolli, and Kalvarayan Hills are gaining popularity. These spots are easily accessible from urban areas and provide unique, less-crowded experiences, he said.
The upcoming summer booking season is witnessing a strong uptick in demand of 55% year-on-year from the high growth Tamil Nadu market, Daniel D’Souza, President & Country Head - Holidays, SOTC Travel, said. “We have witnessed a strong re-emergence of India’s senior segment post pandemic. This powerful segment with dual income are driving our Japan and South Korea’s cherry blossom tours,” he added.
Travel operators have indicated that post the first phase (April 19) of Lok Sabha election 2024, travel demand will further spike up in Tamil Nadu.
