We spoke to Insight Vacations CEO John Boulding and Jt MD of Signature Tours, Rajeev Kohli on their new venture which targets the upper end of the Indian tourist trade. It's a timely venture as the market has developed sufficiently, they said.

Photo Credit : Bikramjit Ray,

BW HOTELIER met with John Boulding, CEO of Insight Vacations and Rajeev Kohli, Joint Managing Director of Signature Tours, on the eve of their announcing their joint venture in India.

Insight Vacations’ has launched Luxury Gold Journeys in collaboration with Signature Tours by Creative Travel. The first-of-its kind in the Indian market, Luxury Gold features 38 expertly crafted escorted journeys delivering five-star elegance and incredible VIP experiences across Europe , North and South America, India, Southeast Asia and Australasia.

It is a case of being in the right place at the right time, Boulding told us his company has been operating with Indian travel trade, working with Indian guests from way back in the early 80s. "Insight's always been operator that's at the premium end of the market and it's been a difficult product to sell here because for so many years, the travel trade and consumer has often just looked at price as a major driver and that has changed now. We have recognised that this is a very different period and the opportunity for us is quite big because Indian consumers today are very savvy and its now moved to the right price, rather than the low price. The quality value equation is not the important factor," he said.

The product which is on offer gives all the experience of a group travel experience in terms of relative value in price but giving a product which delivers to the aspirations of individuals travelling, rather than the group travel concept, he added.

"We have been working with Insight for about six or seven years now. About two years ago we decided to start working with them and sending Indians on tours going out of India. What is interesting about this product unlike others available is that it is truly a multi-cultural experience, you travel with people from across the world," Kohli told us adding that it was an interesting learning curve, because nobody in India was selling a product of the level of Luxury Gold Worldwide itineraries.

The numbers of people that Insight gets into India have grown significantly, Boulding told us. "From our perspective, since we launched the program six years ago its grown to now that each year, moves upwards of 20 percent growth every year," he told us.