LEADING Indian DMC Creative Travel will launch its third venture outside of India on February 20, going into a 50:50 ownership model with Nepalese tour operator Yeti Holidays to set up Creative Travel Nepal.
Although the company already offers Nepal as part of its programmes, it has been more of an “add-on destination to India”, said Creative Travel’s joint managing director Rohit Kohli. Over 90 per cent of itineraries are combined with India.
Kohli explained that the DMC was not jumping into the market to poach business from local competitors, but to widen the pie.
“A lot of tour operators around the world are not selling Nepal at all. As long as Nepal remains stable, it will grow. We want to leverage on our brand and grow Nepal as a destination,” he told TTG Asia e-Daily, adding that Creative Travel Nepal could ride on the company’s network of 15 overseas sales offices.
Staffed by Creative Travel employees, all existing business to Nepal will be handled by the new set-up, while will be marketed as a separate entity. Creative Travel already has a similar operation in Sri Lanka, and half of its itineraries feature the country as a standalone destination.
In a separate development, Kohli revealed that Creative Travel had signed on premium tour operator Insight Vacations, which recently added India to its 2012/2013 programmes, devoting a 24-page brochure towards the destination. About 3,000 passengers are expected in the first year, with tours beginning in September.
