Kavita Gnanamurthy finds out perfect getaways to savour the magic of monsoons in IndiaWhile we all need a desperate holiday in every two months, we shy away from stepping out during the monsoon season. For most of us, the monsoon season in cities conjures up images of raincoats, umbrellas, slushy pot-holed filled roads and heavy traffic jams. Monsoon travel in India is largely underrated and is indeed the perfect time to explore and experience the picturesque landscape of our country. There are many destinations that come alive during the rainy season.So come this monsoon, take a step back from your routine and escape to an offbeat destination to enjoy the cool gentle winds and unending stretch of greenery.GoaThe party capital of India isn’t often associated with monsoon tourism while planning a trip. But you will be surprised with the other face of Goa that you see during the rainy months. As the region turns into a tropical paradise, Goa is a calm and affordable affair during the monsoon. It is the perfect time to enjoy Goa in the ‘Goan’ way, while giving the city crowd a miss. A number of travellers are ready to enjoy and experience the other side of Goa this monsoon season as Skyscanner has already recorded a 34 per cent surge in flight searches year-on-year from across the country.During the monsoon season, there is much more to Goa than just the pristine beaches and nightlife.Dudhsagar waterfall – sea of milk, situated in the southern part of Goa, is at its best and is much admired throughout the monsoon. The milky white waters are surrounded by dense green foliage and are one of Goa’s most stunning natural phenomena. You can also explore the history and heritage of Goa by visiting the beautiful churches, mosques, ports and forts. Along with enjoying the serene beauty of Goa, a drive to the spice farms and wild-life sanctuaries is also a must during monsoon.Leh, LadakhOffering an array of sites and activities for travellers, Ladakh is one of the most searched destinations for the monsoon season – witnessing an increase of 128 per cent YoY in flight searches by Indian travellers.Positioned at an altitude of 3505 meters above the sea level, Leh-Ladakh is amongst India’s most unspoiled destinations. This region does not experience rains like anywhere else in India, making it the perfect time to travel. During the monsoon, Leh offers scenic trails of clouds kissing the high mountain ranges, expansive lakes and magnificent valley views.From visiting Buddhist monasteries and historical monuments to a long trek, Leh has a lot to offer to travellers ranging from adventure enthusiasts to nature lovers. During a light rain shower, you can also experience an enthralling view of the town from Leh palace and enjoy the hanging glaciers on the way along the Zanskar River. An evening at of the Pangong Lake or drive up the Magnetic Hill on a bike adds to it being another unforgettable trip.Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar IslandsThough Andaman and Nicobar islands are known for its clear turquoise water and sun-kissed beaches, you can explore offbeat excursions and succumb to the beauty of its nature during monsoon. With a combination of lush green forests, gorgeous corals and ancient tribes, Andaman & Nicobar’s beauty comes alive during the rainy season.The soothing turquoise hue of the water, fine white sand, shimmering coral reefs that one can spot from the beach itself, gently swaying palm trees and rugged cliffs that surround the area are sights that you can enjoy during monsoon. To keep up with the adrenaline rush and thrill, you can also explore Limestone caves, mud volcanoes and Chidiya Tapu which will be an adventure seeker’s delight. A mangrove canopy walk, visit to Cellular Jail and Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park will enhance the experience of the travellers.The islands have also witnessed a 60% YoY increase of Indians searching for flights for the period of July-September, soon to become India’s favourite monsoon destination.Bagdogra, DarjeelingKnown as the ‘Queen of the Hills’, Darjeeling could not get any perfect during the monsoon. With tourist visits being relatively lower during this time of the year, it has already recorded a 70 per cent surge YoY in flight searches from across the country. With the sight of Colonial houses, lively bazaars and tea plantations, one is left spellbound by the splendid aura of this picturesque hill station.A ride in the toy train run will give you a breathtaking panoramic view of the surrounding hills as it chugs up through clouds enveloped in mist. An evening at Keventer’s overlooking the misty valley and sipping fresh Darjeeling tea can only be experienced during monsoon. A drive to Mirik, a little further from Ghoom, will allow you an uninterrupted view of the Himalayas and later you can stop at one of the tea estates. To watch the dawn light break over a spectacular 250km stretch of the Himalayan horizon, rise early and drive down to Tiger Hill. Stay at a tea garden, pay a visit to Peace Pagoda and take a long walk on Chowrasta to enjoy the destination to its fullest during monsoon.The year on year growth in flight searches is based on searches for flights by travellers on www.skyscanner.co.in between the search period of January to May 2015 in comparison to the same period in 2014, for travel period of July to September 2015 in comparison to the same period in 2014.(The writer, Kavita Gnanamurthy, is senior marketing manager, Skyscanner India)
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Travel and tourism have illustrated how e-commerce may change the structure of an industry, and in the process create new business opportunities, says Gyanesh Kumar and Devesh Kumar ThakurHas e-commerce passed its prime or is it just resting? While business and stock market expectations have not been fulfilled, online transactions in the travel and tourism industry are continuously increasing despite tough economic problems in this arena and fewer travelers overall. This industry is the leading application in the B2C (business-to-consumer) arena. Whereas other industries are displaying a stronger hold to traditional processes, the tourism industry is witnessing an acceptance of ecommerce to the extent that the entire industry structure is changing.E-commerce is becoming one of the most exciting spaces for today's online community, and India's young start-up economy is along for the ride. In a country like India, where there are world's third largest numbers of internet users, after US & China and third largest number of facebook users after US & Brazil, it constitutes to huge opportunities in ecommerce in India. According to Ministry of India, the current trend and statistics shows India's travel and tourism market is poised to grow at a rate of 7.5 percent in 2015 and by that year, the travel sector would contribute to Rs 8.22 trillion to India's GDP. With online travel sector comprising of more than 50 per cent of the e-commerce industry in India, it is estimated to be in the range of $ 11-16 billion.Continued innovation in travel bookings is a favorable sign as long as it does not limit travelers' access to the full scope of options- booking multiple packages from travel portals. With evolution of travel portals, bookings of tickets for airline, hotel, car, bus etc. have all added up to the user's convenience while fulfilling their desire for hassle free bookings. Online travel portal are thus, seen as a one stop shop and a hassle free virtual store for customized travel solution. Consumers are now curating their own experiences using online, mobile, and social media, interchangeably, along their non-linear paths to purchase. The financial package and personalized deals offered by online travel companies is helping the industry grow both in terms of value and volume. Some of the aspects that are driving growth in the segment are- tie-ups with hotels and lodges to provide a complete travel package and out-of-the-box solutions offered by new entrants. Apart from this, use of innovative technology -like mobile apps to help customers connect with the portal, has become a major differentiating factor when selecting long-term association with a travel company.Online travel agencies adopting new policies, technologies, innovation has altogether shaped a new face to the industry. The travel industry boom, evaluation of internet and the emergence of low cost carrier have been the key factors that have contributed to ride the e-commerce business in this sector. Today, consumers understand the benefit of booking the air, train, bus, car tickets online. They have moved from traditional counter booking to online bookings. Owing to an improved internet literacy rate, online travel market is growing at a fervent rate. Moreover, tech savvy customers are now acquainted with superior knowledge about online travel portals, and thus, are ready to pay for their convenience and services. Various offers on different packages by different companies have made the market further lucrative for the customers while driving an increased competition amongst the suppliers.Technology has played a vital role in increasing e-commerce business in online travel sector. Earlier there was no transparency but the scenario now changed with the deeper penetration of internet. Various information and communication technology has been deployed in travel sector which enhance the growth of online travel business.GDS and Meta search engine are the latest innovation in online travel. These search engines helps the consumer to find the best combination of booking by comparing with hundreds of travel portal and refined the result on a single platform. The secured payment mechanism has also recognized the online travel. With improved security for online transactions the government plays its part for the safety of e-commerce transactions by creating awareness on the ways to limit frauds. Earlier there were hesitation in the mind of customers to share their details of debit and credit cards, but today there are secure payment avenues which increase the confidence of customers to book the tickets online which results in the growth of e-commerce in online travel business. Today there is willingness to pay money online which maximizes the revenue of online travel agent.Advent of smart phones is another factor that has induced rapid growth in online travel business in the past 3 to 4 years. Smartphone is changing the needs of consumers, who are frequently taking more vacations of shorter duration, and take less time between choosing and consuming a tourism product. Smart phones is also forging new ways to satisfy consumer needs, as it allows for an "informatization" of the entire tourism value chain-resulting in numerous value-generating strategies.Travel and tourism have illustrated how e-commerce may change the structure of an industry, and in the process create new business opportunities. The deployment of more specialized services, flexible network configurations, and further consumer integration will lead to smart marketplaces that integrate all stakeholders. The underlying pervasive IT scenario enables as well as enforces this development, demonstrating that tourism is an interesting field of application as well as research. As such it may also be of interest for other industries to learn from this development and to understand emerging e-marketplaces.Lastly I want to state that it is the largest segment which contributes to e-commerce transaction in the country and in future too an immense rise in this sector is expected, which would ride the e-commerce on whole. Authors are directors of Axis Softech
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