As one in two frequent travellers say they are looking to travel as soon as they can once the pandemic is over.In India we have witnessed with the second wave slowing down, and people across the country have been seizing the opportunity to travel.
Subsequently, the much-affected tourism industry that has already suffered tremendous financial crunch has no option but to rise to the challenges of the new-normal that covers the safety protocols and standard operating procedures on prevention against Covid-19.
As indicated by multiple research metrics, BBC News is in the top five news brands in India among those interested in travel, 60% of BBC News’ audience is more likely than the average Indian population to talk about travel/vacation online and 58% are personally interested in travel.
Vishal Bhatnagar, Sales Director – South Asia, BBC Global News, said: “The BBC believes in true travel journalism which is about stories that make you feel immersed. We are constantly searching for new ideas and experiences to share with our audience. It’s our priority to understand cultural sensitivities and recognise diversity through our storytelling.”
With an aim to provide quintessential information on travel, BBC Travel re-launched this summer giving an experience of a premium look and feel of a dynamic single page app technology designed for mobile. Its objective is to provide an antidote by celebrating the people, places and cultures that make this world so wonderfully diverse and amazing, inspiring the readers to fall in love with the world all over again.
Anne Banas, BBC Travel Editor, said: “We tell stories with unexpected angles – on themes such as culture, food, discovery and experiences – that haven’t been covered before. Through our travel stories, we connect readers to cultures around the world and appeal to people who aren’t travelling at the moment as much as those who are. We encourage responsible travel and sell stories with cultural sensitivity and sustainability in mind from diverse perspectives.”
The latest research highlights 59% of BBC audiences in India are interested in other countries and culture – 20% more likely than the average Indian population.
Notably, the latest trends indicate that there has been a greater emphasis on sustainable travel in consumer behaviour. The latest Ipsos Affluent survey highlights that more than 70% of BBC audiences in India are willing to pay a premium for environment friendly products and more than 60% of the BBC audience will investigate brand’s environmental records.
To understand more about the future of travel from tourism and aviation industry leaders of India and Nepal, BBC Global News will be holding an exclusive webinar in partnership with PATA India Chapter on 10th of August. Devina Gupta, BBC News Senior Journalist, and Rajan Datar, BBC Travel Presenter, will be exploring and investigating some of the crucial factors on how the brands are prepared to respond, including:
Impact of the pandemic on the travel industry
Whether the industry in India and neighbouring countries are prepared to revive and reset after the second wave of Covid-19
Sustainable measures that the hospitality and aviation industry is working on
Future prospects of new destinations that domestic travellers are choosing
You can register for the Restart and Reset 2.0 for Travel webinar HERE