HYDERABAD: Ever thought about getting married against a beach sunset backdrop? Not just that, ever heard about tech tourism? We find that youngsters don’t tire from finding new avenues and motivations to travel at the Travel & Trade Fair (TTF), which was inaugurated on Friday at HICC Novotel, Hitech City. The event, which will close today, featured 17 states from around the country and 12 countries. Ranging from wedding to health tourism, startup to weekend travels, the representatives of every travel stall agreed to the fact that youth was the newest and hottest customers for them.
Weekend-cation
With youngsters from metros itching with wanderlust looking for options, new horizons have opened up for tourism departments. Dinesh Guleria, Information officer, Department of Tourism (Himachal Pradesh) shares, “Himachal has always been attractive for youngsters for its lush nature as well as adventure sports, but lately we have a lot of people coming to stay for just a weekend. So we have packages for accommodating that as well.”
Moreover, as these weekend vacations are mostly during the off season, it saves up a lot of money for the takers. “As weekend tourism particularly among the youngsters is gaining momentum, Government, as well as private resorts, are shelling out discounts to grab the young tourists,” says L Divya, Sales Executive, Jungle Lodges and Resorts.
For the love of heritage
Meanwhile, those who love heritage are not far behind. As Telangana Government actively promotes its tourism through its rich heritage, including the crafts and wildlife, other states like Uttarakhand and even neighbours like Nepal bank on tourists who are there for the history and culture. “Mountaneering, trekking and rock climbing are popular among the youth who visit here. There are a few who are also specifically fascinated with ancient structures and cultures,” says Rakesh Barthwal, of Uttarakhand Tourism.
Destination weddings FTW!
When youngsters are involved, so are weddings. Within India, Goa and Kerala seem to be the hottest wedding destinations among the youth. “Ganesh Teli, Assistand Director of the Department of Tourism, Goa says, “Earlier there wasn’t as many facilities as Goa has now. With luxury hotels like Grad Hyatt, Lalith and Planet Hollywood coming along, there is a lot more scope for youngsters to explore.”
“The fad is to go through the pheras on the beach during the sunset or sunrise. All you have to do is get a permission from the Director of Tourism and no one else will meddle with your big day,” he says.
Travel for trade
“Youngsters are always looking for something new. We get a lot of people asking me ‘Show us something we haven’t seen before.’ While the north Germany a lot of youth travel for business and artistic opportunities, South Germany is more for the travel addicts,” explains Hector D’souza, Director, India-Southwest German Tourism. On the other hand, Korea is the new hub for the tech-savvy.
“In February 2018, Korea will have 5G, world’s fastest internet and it already completely Wifi enabled. This is attracting a lot of tech tourism and young startups to look for opportunities and tie-ups in Korea”, says Sandeep Dutta, Marketing Manager, Korea Tourism Organisation.
28th year of Travel and Trade Fair features
249 sellers
17 states
12 countries
Tourism trends
Weekend: Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh, Puducherry
Weddings: Goa, Kerala, Gujarat, Rajasthan
Heritage: Telangana, Nepal, Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu
Honeymooners: Maldives, Srilanka, Kerala
Tech and Startups: Korea, Singapore, Germany