Tirupati has always been a popular destination among South Indian travelers. S.Mahalingaiah, Director, Skyway International Travels, talks about a special offer doled out by his company to sell darshan packages.
Skyway Tour has an interesting portfolio with diverse products. Currently, you have doled out an exciting product for Tirupati. Tell us about the product and the reason for the launch.
Skyway Tour is currently making it easier for people who are looking to seek darshan in Tirupati. The company is currently offering Tirupati Special Darshan Package to people in Bangalore, Chennai, and Mysore for discerning travelers who want to visit Tirupati with family and friends and at the same time, go for darshan with them. Skyway Tour provides private vehicles from Bangalore, Chennai, and Mysore. Our package also includes pick-up from airport, railway station, hotel or residence and drop them at a good accommodation in Tirupati. Next morning, they are assured of darshan between 9 am and 11 am. After the darshan, they will once again be taken to their respective places. We launched this to our B2B and B2C market both in February.
Can travel agents also register for this package? If yes, are you giving them any incentives?
We have a wide network of b2b travel agents in India to market the Special Darshan package. In fact, we get more bookings from agents only. Industry standard commission option is also available for travel agents. We have adopted both online and offline marketing channels. These packages can be booked in our portal www.skywaytor.com.
Tirupati has been a preferred destination for many religious travelers. In the past three years, have you noticed any interesting travel trends with regard to this destination?
There is an increase in tourist arrival in Tirupati. We were getting many inquiries from high-end customers to offer this kind of package for quite some time. We were exploring the possibilities of tie-up for this and somehow, it wasn’t working. Now, thanks to Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC), who has granted us permission to issue special tickets. We are now closely working with them and are providing the Special Darshan package to many tourists.
Tourism development corporations in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka (including ITDC and TTD) offer special darshan for those traveling in their coaches from various places. Earlier, there was no option for discerning travelers who wanted to travel with family and friends for the Special Darshan. Right now, we have the facility to cater to guests who are willing to spend on a 3-star or 4-star accommodation.
What’s the age group of people who travel to Tirupati?
We mostly cater to age groups 35 to 75.
Why should anyone book with Skyway Tour?
At Skyway Tour, tourists have the option to travel in private and even tailor tours according to their needs. We assure Special Darshan for everyone who does bookings with us.
