On 2024-03-26, I captured a question about what comes next for the travel industry: hotels, Airbnb, or something else altogether. The question is attributed to @nikhilkamathcio, and the post credits research to @FinFloww at https://t.co/1MDIOQVyJT. A related reply contains only https://t.co/8NrSnrkOE7; the capture provides no research findings or answer, so I cannot treat the question as my own view or preference.
I see travel and hospitality in India as a major economic opportunity: travel inwards can bring forex, jobs, and growth. I argued for a little more budget allocation, a slight tweak in attitude, and practising “atithi devo bhava” rather than merely reciting it. I also noted that Indians all encounter travel and hospitality at some point.
On 2024-01-15, I described an unnamed beach near my hometown in Udupi as one of India’s spectacular hidden beaches. The post includes #Mulki and tags @mantrasurfclub, but does not identify the specific beach.
I contrasted it with beaches in the west, describing it as free of crowds and chaos and saying it did not have the trash-filled-beach problem I associated with Bali and Thailand at the time. I praised the Mangi food as mindblowing.
I presented this nearby beach as an appealing alternative to international travel, without expensive seaplanes or boat rides, immigration, visas, or waiting in lines at international airports. The post does not specify which beach I meant or what “Mangi food” refers to.
I previewed an episode that would break down business opportunities and 5 things that need to change structurally in Indian travel and hospitality.
On 2024-10-08, I independently posted that tourism disruption has potential for entrepreneurs and should reach beyond hotels, travel, or capital-expenditure-heavy activities. The same statement appears in a post quoted in a reply to @nikhilkamathcio; the capture also shows link-only replies and does not identify the author’s handle or what the links contain: https://t.co/NKq8rkdmoZ, https://t.co/0iP0kGetn3, and https://t.co/BMe51Pabus.
In another episode announcement, I framed international tourism as a potential next big opportunity for India. I contrasted India’s foreign-tourist arrivals with Dubai’s, and pointed to India’s population, landscapes, history, and food as reasons its visitor numbers seem unexpectedly low. The post did not provide a data source or explain how the figures were defined.
I said India gets about 10 million foreign tourists a year.
I compared that with Dubai, which gets 18 million.
I described India as having 1.4 billion people and 5,000 years of history, alongside the Himalayas, Goa, Rajasthan, Kerala, the Andamans, and what I called arguably the best food in the world.
I said two leaders who built India’s biggest travel and hotel businesses agreed that the country is “easy to leave, hard to visit.” I pointed to better roads, airports, digital infrastructure, and connectivity as changes over the last decade, and said the episode would explore five ways to bring more visitors and opportunities for entrepreneurs. The post did not name the leaders or companies, specify the barriers, or list the promised changes.