Rituparna Chatterjee – Mumbai
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Ravishankar
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Vacations Exotica, which was recently acquired by Balmer Lawrie and will function as an independent SBU in the company, is planning to increase its focus on the luxury segment by selling both Indian and overseas destinations. This decision is part of their strategy to cater to the growing demand for luxury travel in India and diversify in the holidaying space. However, this would be a difficult task as it would involve finding the right suppliers, training the staff, understanding client requirements to name a few. Elaborating on this, Ravishankar, COO, Vacations Exotica stated, “There is a demand for luxury travel, but the expectation is also high. Therefore, before we venture into the luxury segment, we need to be sure on what to give to the clients by identifying their requirements and categorising them into different segments. For the same, we also need to find the right suppliers who cater to the luxury segment since they need to be resourceful and preempt things.”
The company also wants to expand its presence in India specially in Tier II and Tier III cities. “We came with the idea of doing holidays differently. Price hasn’t been a factor for us. Vacations Exotica designed holidays and also made all inclusive holidays. However, we need to expand our presence in India and especially in Tier II and Tier III cities,” added Ravishankar.
Speaking on the recent scenario of the Indian travel trade, Ravishankar stated that Indian holidays needs to be done with more focus since India has a huge potential in the travel segment and there are few organised sectors. He suggested that travel agents need to start charging consultation fees that can be adjusted with the holidaying cost once the holiday is booked with them. This in turn will help to improve their position in the market, he stated.
