Activity-based holidays a hit among tourists

If you want to ensure that your vacations are a learning experience along with fun, you are now spoilt for choice: A myriad number of options are opening up and tourists can choose from a golfing vacation, a scuba diving adventure or skiing on the slopes of the Alps.

RCI-India MD Radhika Shastry said, “We are seeing more and more requests for activity-based holidays. The idea is to learn something new along with having fun, while spending quality time with their families.”

While Malaysia and the US remain popular golfing destinations, tourists are heading to the Maldives, Indonesia and Thailand for scuba diving and to the US and Switzerland for skiing. Domestically, too, destinations such as the Andaman and Nicobar islands are becoming hotspots for scuba diving, while the Himalayan gorges are becoming hot spots for river rafting.

Mrinalini Gore, manager, Reserve Bank of India (RBI), decided to opt for an adventurous experience instead of a usual tour. “I like water activities and was looking forward to a different experience. Having gone on cruises before, I realised that I can opt for these even later in life. But, river rafting was something I wanted to experience at the right age and decided to go with a tour group for river rafting in Rishikesh. Scuba diving is on my agenda now and I am exploring options for that too.”

Rajeev Nangia, associate director, TRAC Representation, agrees, “Seasoned and high-income travellers, who want to move beyond the usual, are opting for these packages. These people consider travel as something more than a leisure activity. Scuba diving and self-drive are becoming much soughtafter options.”

TRAC represents the tourism boards of Monaco, Mauritius, Jamaica, Kenya and Seychelles in India.

Gore added, “I felt safer during my river rafting tour since I did this high on adventure and low on comfort tour with an an all-women group, WOW (Women on Wanderlust).”

Nangia of TRAC Representation feels the interest in self drive is due to the introduction of the plastic card licence, which is valid for a certain period in foreign countries as well. “Tourists opt for these for a day or two so as to be able to go on exploratory drives. For example, in Monaco, people are hiring a Ferrari for a day’s drive. But this market has only started developing only since 2008. If tour operators get into the activity-based holiday business, in five years we can see up to 100,000 tourists going for these holidays annually, ” he said.

Tourists are also opting for these packages due the trend-setting value attached to them. “We are seeing more scuba diving enthusiasts coming from western India. This particular segment is also seeing higher middle income families opting for it,”said Nangia.