Trending amongst the Indian travellers over the last couple of years, Czech Tourism is bullish on the Indian outbound market post international travel resumption. The destination is ready and has recommenced tourism for the European markets recently.
Speaking about the Indian market, Arzan Khambatta, Head, Czech Tourist Authority – CzechTourism India, said, “The COVID-19 crisis has disrupted life as we know it and international travel is the most affected amongst others. The Czech Republic welcomed many tourists from India in the past few years during springs and summers, which could not happen this year. However, we believe, that travel is a very resilient industry and we will stand together and with our combined efforts to overcome this situation. India has been one of the key source markets for the Czech Republic with significant growth in tourist numbers over the last few years. Recuperation will happen, albeit at its own pace, so we are waiting for India to recover soon, so that we can welcome our discerning Indian travellers to explore our delightful and scenic country.”
In terms of scale, the destination has successfully contained the spread of the virus and has been one of the least affected within Europe. To further ensure safety, the destination has taken several hygiene measures.
Khambatta added, “The Czech Republic has so far been able to fight this pandemic fairly well. It is amongst the least affected countries in Europe. We are optimistic that we will soon be ready to invite the discerning Indian travellers to visit our magnificent and scenic country. The Czech Republic is already open to visitors from European countries to start with, which would gradually be extended to other countries around the world. As the health and safety of everyone have been the utmost priority, several measures related to health and hygiene are being undertaken.”
During the lockdown period, the global tourism movement had come to a standstill. During this period, Czech Republic continued to engage with its travel trade partners digitally. “While several restrictions are still in place in India and not much active marketing is possible during this period, it is our sincere belief that the destinations that remain visible and relevant in these challenging times will also be the first ones to bounce back and attract the Indian tourists. We have increased our efforts to stay connected with the travel trade fraternity. Virtual Training and E-Learning programmes are some of the initiatives that are being implemented to educate and inform the travel trade. Apart from this, we have also launched our India specific Instagram handle, to reach out to our Indian community of travellers in a more focused manner,” he said.
Looking ahead, the entire trend of European travel from India market will change. Travellers will look at more focused itineraries in single destination rather than destination hopping. Slow tourism will be one of the upcoming trends to watch out. “The fear of the pandemic will leave a lasting impact on the travel industry and perhaps encourage a shift in the way travellers approach planning their trips. Travellers will give way to selective, sustainable and slow tourism for their well-being. Tourists who will prefer travelling to mid and long-haul destinations will spend more time in one place than hopping to different countries. Apart from exploring the destination in depth and understanding its culture and surroundings, this will also keep them safe and even away from formalities and cautiousness required while crossing international borders,” he added.
