THE BUCKET LIST

As travel destinations open up, there are enough getaways for HNIs. The offerings include driving on ice in Lapland to aerobatics in the Nevada desert, and a lot more in between

- PRIYA KUMARI RANA

The world has changed, and recreational and romantic travel at the moment seems like a distant dream. But even during these restrictive times, companies and super-luxe hotels are offering a paradisiacal escape. A look at all that has changed in terms of travel itineraries and options.

Short-Hauls A Safer Bet?

“Pre-Covid, people made these complex itineraries involving long-haul travel,” says Pritish Shah, Founder and CEO, A Travel Duet (which organises personalised romantic getaways for couples) and A Travel Circle (A bespoke travel brand launched in June 2020 that crafts holidays for intimate groups). “They wanted to travel 20 days in Central America, or do Australia-New Zealand Bora Bora.” The hottest destinations were Mexico, Costa Rica, Cuba, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, and Lapland (in the winter, to see the Northern Lights and polar bears). But now, connectivity to long-haul destinations is out of the window, since travel for tourism is currently not allowed, unless for certain ‘bubbles’ such as the Maldives (recently announced), Sri Lanka, or Dubai. “It’s point to point,” says Shah, “And now, we are seeing a bit of the travel sentiment pick up.”

Also, due to the sudden lockdown in March, many couples had to cancel their honeymoon plans. “There will be this pent-up demand,” says Shah. “Couples who were stuck, will get married. People have started asking — where will we go and what will we do?” Only short trips are likely for now. “Do a mini-moon — for four to five days or 10 days, and then plan a bigger trip next year, starting April 2021, or a summer getaway, when things are more solid from a Covid standpoint,” adds Shah.