Caravans could be the new travel vogue, but there are many elements which take hold of the growth of this kind of tourism in the country.
In the West, it is pretty normal for families to own a caravan/ Motor Home/ RV or even rent one for a road trip or a vacation. It is no news that caravan tourism is extremely popular in foreign countries, but the good news is, that this caravan culture has found its way in India as well! In fact, state governments are now shoving for it, especially with the ongoing epidemic.
Kerala recently introduced caravans and caravan parks to promote tourism in the state. Kerala Tourism Department revealed that as of now, about 150 people have registered for bringing in 350 caravans and around 90 people for bringing in around 120 caravan parks. Kerala opened its first caravan park in Vagamon, a hill station, as part of the state government’s new Caravan Tourism policy.
But what is this caravan tourism and why is there a heightened demand for it? Let’s examine.
Caravan tourism is an advanced and thrilling way to experiment with uncustomary modes of transportation, which promotes touring with household to destinations where it could be difficult to find adequate hotel arrangements. caravans give the freedom to live and travel hassle-free. You can decide where you want to settle, or sleep and whether to wake up to the sound of nature or next to the beach. It is a comfortable blend of travel, leisure and accommodation. In fact, the government has cited that currently there is an increase in demand for eco, adventure, wildlife and pilgrimage tourism. Since remote areas have a shortage of accommodation, caravan tourism holds the potential to meet this demand.
Now let’s understand why there is a growing demand for this kind of unique tourism. In present situation because of Covid-19, people want to travel with a limited crowd, mainly with their family and close ones. To travel via caravan is the best way as it fulfills all those necessities. This is probably because of the health safety it provides, especially with the pandemic going on,people want to travel in a bubble and a caravan provides just that. The travellers believe that end-to-end connectivity and flexibility, and comfort are some of the key factors in favour of caravan tourism. Caravan solves the problem for those who want to experience the interiors of the place they want to travel to and connect with its locals.
In fact, with sustainability gaining so much importance among travellers over time, caravan tourism helps in reducing carbon footprints as well. Conventional tourism impacts the environment in more than one way. But, if you are travelling via caravans, there is limited space and limited resources. This limitation, itself, makes caravan tourism more eco-friendly.
Is this the future of travel in India?
Caravans could be the new travel trend, but there are many factors that are affecting the growth of this kind of tourism in the country. First of all, factors like lack of caravan products to road permits, need improvement to boost caravan tourism in India. A vehicle cannot be converted into a caravan unless the approval comes from the Automotive Research Association of India. caravans require huge investment, one needs support from the government in terms of marketing, promotion, subsidies, hybrid caravan parks, and financial support, where India is somewhere lagging behind.
If these hurdles are met, there is no reason why caravans cannot be the future of travel in India. Travellers no longer want to restrict themselves to hotel destinations and thus, creating awareness about the flexible caravans will only bring in more demand and eventually lead to more supply.