With a savvy team of well-travelled consultants, Panache World is crafting unique customer experiences. Loveleen Multani Arun, Director, Panache World, shares her insights.
Panache World is making great strides in the Indian market. Tell us about the company’s beginnings.
Panache World was started about 17 years ago and has constantly reinvented itself to the changing market scenario in India and to the needs of the Indian traveller. It has grown from a small two-people company to a well-rounded ‘luxury travel studio.’ The company boasts a savvy team of personable and well-travelled consultants who can discuss in-depth itineraries for over 60 countries.
What are your promotional plans? Are you trying out something new?
Panache World is betting on digital for future growth. Although 90% of the company’s business comes from repeat clients or referrals, we are looking at digital campaigns to expand in the market. Luxury travel is a lifestyle choice that is inspired by a lot of content that is absorbed through social media and online magazines.
How do you ensure that you offer customers the best experience?
Panache World customises holidays for discerning, luxury travellers. We believe in adding an unforgettable experience to every trip that is created, and this brings people back for the next trip. We are always very conscious of the enquiries, and constantly ask ourselves, “How do we enhance the client’s experience of a certain destination? What is it that we can cater differently that could not have been experienced on this trip, if they had booked the trip themselves?”
How would you define today’s ‘Indian Traveller’?
Today’s Indian traveller is well-informed and has singular taste in hotels, gastronomy, adventure and culture. Their sense of what they want to achieve from a particular trip is heightened and precise. You can no longer satisfy a client if you are not well-travelled yourself. Everyone has access to unlimited knowledge of destinations from the
internet and, therefore, only the soft understanding of a hotel or a destination sets you apart. It is a delightful market to be working in during these times as Indians are willing to try out new things and new places. They no longer want to tick-mark places on maps or gather stamps on the passports. It is more about learning and becoming better people by travelling. That makes our jobs as travel advisors very important and critical.
Have you noticed any interesting travel trends in the last few years?
Due to the inherent way social media works, people tend to get categorized in certain groups such as “Oh! he is
such a foodie, or he is into physical fitness or she is an animal lover, or a traveller or an artistic person and so on
and so forth. More often than not, people want to take tours or travel to further enhance this persona that they feel they should live up to. So a foodie wants to do a cooking class in Tuscany or an artistic person wants to go explore art museums in Paris. Everybody wants to be different and, therefore, every destination needs to be treated differently for every personality type. Tourism and travel companies that understand this and invest in that direction are bound to do better than the others.
