Scoot eyes non-metro cities for India growth

The budget venture of Singapore Airlines is betting on exotic travel trend

- Anu Sharma

Scoot, Singapore Airlines’s low-cost carrier, is trying to tap into the rising demand for air travel from India’s non-metro cities as first-time flyers seek exotic destinations and new experiences, a top company executive said.

“These are new exotic travellers," Brian Torrey, general manager, India, Scoot said in an interview. “People are looking beyond known destinations. We are seeing new beach travellers. Just the general enthusiasm for travel, experiences...to be documented and shared with family and friends on social media. This trend is fast catching up, and I am visiting tier-II cities and new regions with potential. I see all the way down to these cities...it is not just for metros."

Sales channels are changing, and some people in tier-2 cities are resorting to interesting ways, Torrey said, like using ChatGPT to plan their itinerary, and then visiting travel agents to book their flights and holidays.