Hola, bagpacks

Actor Rajveer Ankur Singh backpacking in Yosemite National Park this year

In a blog post from last year, Preethika Ganapathisubramanian and Narayanan Hariharan, known as the Passing Ports Couple, discuss how not a day would go by when they'd not talk about their trip to Pai, or about hiking to monasteries in Meteora. "So, here's the thing with travel - once the travel bug bites you, the itch remains for life. Pre-COVID times, we used to travel at least once a month and Preethika's job keeps her on the move, which meant that the last seven months have been the longest time we've been stuck at home without going out," he writes in his post, dated October 30, 2020.

A common area for backpackers at the Moustache Hostel in Udaipur

Currently, Ganapathisubramanian is backpacking in Leh, while Hariharan is at their home in Chennai. "She [Preethika] says Leh is packed [with travellers]. I know Hampi and Gokarna are full and so are beach destinations in Goa. So, backpacking is taking place; individuals are driving down or taking domestic flights. That's [backpacking] probably the only thing going full-fledged right now," he says.

This wasn't always the case, though. The sudden pause on backpackers due to the Coronavirus pandemic has massively affected the hospitality and travel industry, with many businesses having gone under. Those that remain afloat are struggling to break even. Abhishek Khandelwal, managing director at Moustache Hotesls, a backpackers' hostel chain in India, was forced to shut down operations for six months in 2020, and again this year due to the second wave. "Our staff was asked to stay at home without pay, because there was no income at that point. I know a lot of other hostel chains that were doing phenomenally well, caving in, in the lockdown. The situation, however, is finally looking up now unless a third wave hits us," he says. Introduced back in 2013, Moustache started with a single destination, and today has hostels in Delhi, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Pushkar, Varanasi, Rishikesh, Kaza, Jispa, Goa, and Khajuraho. With backpackers not able to cross international borders as easily as they could pre-pandemic, the brand is currently focusing on wooing domestic travellers. "Earlier, we relied heavily on international travellers, because hostel culture is still very niche in India. People here are yet to warm up to the concept. I remember we had some domestic guests who posted negative reviews because we did not offer slippers in the room.

Preethika Ganapathisubramanian and Narayanan Hariharan

Some had a problem with doing their own dishes after a meal," he says. A backpackers' hostel typically offers low-cost accommodation to travellers, often in a dormitory-style setting. For backpackers travelling on a budget, these are often seen as the best option for saving money and staying in a safe place.

Several destinations, like New Zealand, that are popular with backpackers are now reportedly training their lens on attracting high-end visitors, which industry experts say might create a dent in budget travel. Airlines, too, may seek to recoup massive losses they've suffered by hiking fares. Khandelwal echoes the concern. "Yes, it will get more expensive because now hotels are required to introduce more safety infrastructure and up their housekeeping facilities. For us, attracting labour has been a problem. Those who went back to their villages in the lockdown, are now settled there, so the only way to draw them back will be through better salaries." According to travel content creator Kaushal Karkhanis, who runs the blog Exotic Gringo, the hiked prices won't deter travellers because people have saved up in the pandemic. "There was no travel for over a year, so people will have higher budgets now." If anything, the pandemic might help create more backpackers, he adds. "The hostel culture is here to stay, because these are being marketed as ‘co-living and co-working spaces'."

Travel content creator Kaushal Karkhanis, who runs the blog Exotic Gringo, during a trip to Recife, the capital of Brazil's northeastern state of Pernambuco. The place is distinguished by its many rivers and islets

Some travel bugs such as model and actor Rajveer Ankur Singh haven't even let the pandemic come in the way of their adventures. "In the first wave, I was backpacking all over Maharashtra on my bike, because there was nobody out, so it seemed like the best time to travel." In the second wave, Singh headed to the US for a trip to Yosemite National Park and backpacked for eight days. "I just completed a trek in Kashmir - for seven days, and six nights. It was an 80-km trek, but it was made easy because now you have so many players in the industry who are making this kind of travel more accessible to people like you and me." When it comes to cheaper hotels following hygiene and safety standards, Singh admits it can be a bit of a challenge in the country. "But, you always keep your essentials with you for basic hygiene. Obviously, you are going to have a big backpack with you, so, keep all the necessary supplies, cleaning supplies, tissues, gloves. They don't take much space and now there are air blankets that you can use."

Abhishek Khandelwal, Moustache Hostels

Karkhanis says we might see newer, less-travelled destinations emerging. "For instance, because beaches in Goa are immensely popular, I might take off to explore the inlays or the rivers in the state. Overall, the mountains in Uttarakhand seem to be a draw." Internationally, it's South America that is gaining favour, despite the Coronavirus concerns in the continent. "If you look at the Nomad list, which is a great resource for travellers, cities in South America are among the top 10. This is because hubs such as Thailand and Bali are still shut. The popular sentiment seems to be, we've witnessed the worst in the pandemic, so let's now take a chance."