With a growing vaccinated population and easing of restrictions, customer confidence in travel is witnessing a strong rebound. As per Thomas Cook India & SOTC's survey that covered metros, mini-metros, Tier 2 - 3 cities, 77 per cent of respondents are keen to travel in 2021 itself.
Additionally, winter experiences during the Christmas-New Year festive season present a significant travel opportunity, especially for working professionals yet to consume their annual leave.
Snowscapes of winter along with the festivities and light-ups of Christmas across the UK and Europe's Switzerland, France, Germany and Austria hold strong allure for Indian travellers. Winter's wonderland offers unique experiences: snowboarding/ tobogganing or reindeer sleighs, staying in a glass igloo with ringside views of the spectacular Northern Lights, a visit to Santa's Village in Rovaniemi, panoramic winter vistas aboard the Glacier Express, winter saunas/spas with fire and ice pools or indulging in fondue in a tram! Not surprising then, that Europe and UK are in top demand; Maldives, Turkey and Egypt are seeing a strong continuum.
The growing interest in Expo 2020 Dubai is giving rise to significant interest for Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Domestic locales like Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, North-East for winter experiences; Rajasthan, Goa, Gujarat, Andamans and Kerala are also high on the Indian travellers wish list for November - December 2021.
Rajeev Kale, President & Country Head - Holidays, MICE, Visa, Thomas Cook (India) Limited said, "Customer confidence is on the rise and with it a strong demand for winter/year-end travel. We have launched our Winter Holidays that offer spectacular winter vistas coupled with unique experiences and special offers - for a perfect much-awaited holiday."
Daniel D'souza President & Country Head, SOTC Travel said, "Winter Travel is gaining momentum and customers are inclined to travel to new destinations and build on happy memories, especially due to the restrictions in the past 18 months."
