Vacay like it's 2019? Industry experts on what to expect when int'l travel resumes

After a period of two years, the Indian government is set to resume scheduled international services from March 27. To say this is a much awaited move will be an understatement, as Indian travellers have looked forward to exploring beyond the country's borders. According to Agoda's recent ‘India-genous Travel' survey, 39% of Indians anticipate travelling internationally in 2022. "As border restrictions gradually ease across many countries in the region we're seeing a lot of enthusiasm for cross-border travel," shares Amanpreet Bajaj, Airbnb's General Manager for India, Southeast Asia, Taiwan and Hong Kong.

Agoda's Return to Travel survey found that their biggest concern about travelling internationally was understanding the restrictions and requirements surrounding vaccination or quarantine. While country-specific guidelines will still need to be complied with, most countries are in the process of relaxing restrictions.

"After being unable to travel abroad for so long, many people are excited to take that long-awaited overseas trip - something we've seen reflected in searches on Airbnb following a number of border reopening announcements. We have seen travelers particularly search for international destinations like the US, United Kingdom, Middle East countries, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Australia, Thailand and Switzerland for outbound travel. We have also seen searches for inbound travel from countries such as the US, UK, Canada, UAE, Singapore and France among others," adds Bajaj.

It is no wonder that airlines such as Lufthansa, Air Canada, and Malaysian Airlines, in anticipation of increased demand, have started to add to their scheduled international flights, gradually inching towards pre-Covid volumes. Airlines are also preparing to introduce fresh routes thereby increasing connectivity. With pandemic travel trends such as glamping, staycations, and revenge travel gaining prominence, what is interesting to note is how travel has seen a metamorphosis in the past two years, how the Indian traveller has matured, and how long lasting such trends will be.

Offbeat destinations are in vogue

With the lines between travel and living continuing to blur, and huge numbers of workers untethered from their offices, many people have taken on a new approach to travel. "As travellers embark on their cross-border trips, we can also expect people to take with them the newfound flexibility they've embraced as domestic travellers in recent times. Remote work has given people a newfound flexibility and they're willing to try new destinations, travel at off-peak times, and stay for longer. That's great news for communities in off-the-beaten path areas that have traditionally missed out on the benefits of tourism. In fact, about 100,000 towns and cities around the world have had an Airbnb booking in the past year, with more than 6,000 places having their first-ever booking during the pandemic," shares Bajaj.

Longer stays

Millions of people around the world now have the ability to live anywhere, which presents exciting opportunities for them as international border restrictions continue to lift. "We believe that many of the fundamental shifts in travel we saw emerge during the pandemic will be enduring. For example, we've seen the average trip length increase over the past couple of years by about 15 percent, with stays of more than seven days incredibly popular with travelers. Long-term stays of at least 28 nights were also our fastest growing category by trip length in the fourth quarter of 2021," explains Bajaj.

Flexibility

Most frequent travellers have had their travel plans been squashed last-minute due to the ever changing Covid-19 restrictions in the past two years which has made flexibility a top criteria. Airbnb introduced the "I'm Flexible" tool last May which helps people find the best destinations to visit and places to stay. "The tool has been used nearly 800 million times, and helped people travel in the ways that suit their changing lifestyles," says Bajaj.

Inbound influx to fuel domestic hotspots

Goa became the go-to destination for most Indians who couldn't travel internationally, which led to a number of hospitality businesses springing up offshoots in the coastal state. Elephant & Co.--among the most popular neighbourhood pubs in Pune--opened up a community bar and kitchen in Goa's most buzzing neighbourhood Anjuna this month.

A drop in domestic tourists is bound to happen once international travel resumes, which may dent hospitality businesses. "We will definitely see a reduction of Indian tourists and residents once the corporate life comes back to normal and offices resume. The Goa heat is not making it any easier. People have already started flocking back to where they came from or to the mountains," admits Karan Khilnani, Partner at Elephant and Co.

However, Mumbai-native Khilnani is optimistic about the volume of inbound tourists that Goa has always received, "As international travel is set to open with full force by this summer, we are prepared to see an influx from abroad post rains. Goa has always seen the maximum number of international tourists in India (pre-Covid) and we are expecting the same to resume once the season starts. In fact, we are quite confident about it. We have designed our new menu for ECO Goa keeping the international palate in mind. It will be interesting to see how everything churns out at the end, but we hope for Goa to become what it was before 2020."

Wellness

The increased focus on wellness has permeated travel as well, as people seek much more out of a vacation. "Wellness travel has seen a surge in demand since the lockdown restrictions have uplifted. The definition of travel has changed for people post the pandemic. People associate travelling with an immersive healing experience rather than just a casual holiday. As international travel resumes, we are expecting a surge in guests looking for wellness experiences, and transformative programs," shares Srikant Peri, General manager at Hilton Shillim Estate Retreat and Spa.

Dharana at Shillim is an eco-wellness retreat that offers a range of wellness programs keeping in mind the directive of social distancing and reduced touchpoints these programs incorporate contactless therapies, especially dealing with energy healing and pranic healing. Further explaining how travellers' needs have matured in the past two years, Peri adds, "People are constantly looking for retreats that help them create a tailor-made itinerary that is a great way to find the right balance between relaxation and recovery. Programs focusing on resilience and rejuvenation have seen an increase in demand. People have realised that a revitalised body might prove more productive at work."

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