Thomas Cook (India) Ltd., has observed a strong appetite with over 30% in demand for outdoor-adventure travel from Indian consumers. With biking trips in India emerging as a significant new trend, Thomas Cook India has introduced a portfolio of Bike Trips across spectacular routes within India and Bhutan.
Adventure Tourism is a 5 trillion US dollar business globally with Nielsen revealing an impressive 85% contribution by domestic tourists to the overall India adventure travel market and a growth surge of 400% (ATOAI report). Biking in India, despite seeing significant demand, is yet underleveraged, and presents a significant market opportunity- driven primarily by India’s corporate segment and millennials. Thomas Cook India has hence launched its Bike Trips- a series of adventure holidays in association with Deyor Camps.
Thomas Cook’s Bike Trips navigate through rugged yet spectacular terrains- from the erstwhile trading routes that once connected eastern Tibet with Turkistan via the famous Karakoram Pass, Leh, Manali, Spiti, Srinagar, Sikkim and Rajasthan as well Bhutan; duration of between 6 – 13 days.
Living by the mantra of YOLO (you only live once) and inspired heavily by social media, Thomas Cook India has already seen a growing number of enquires for bike trips: the company’s research reveals that corporate India powers the demand at 70%, followed by millennials at 30%; the average age of consumers being 42 years. Additionally, India’s women are displaying growing appetite for such exclusive bike experiences with a 30:70 female-male ratio. Key source markets include India’s metros such as Bengaluru, Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad and NCR; also Tier 2 markets including Chandigarh and Surat.
Rajeev Kale, President and Country Head – Leisure Travel, MICE, Thomas Cook (India) Ltd. said, “India’s travel mantra is increasing about off-beat, Instagram worthy experiences. At Thomas Cook India we’ve observed an over 30% growth in demand for outdoor-adventure travel, with motorbike trips being a significant new trend. In order to leverage this opportunity, we’ve launched our unique Bike Trips across spectacular terrains from Himachal to Ladakh to Bhutan. What is interesting is that this demand is not limited to millennials, but is in fact driven by corporate India’s 35-55 age group. The sheer magnitude of the journey, amidst stunning natural vistas exudes a unique spirituality – and we welcome our customers on a journey that will be etched in their minds forever!”
