Catch Your Fish And Eat It Too

In recent times, camping has picked up pace in India as more and more travellers are giving hotels and resorts a miss to explore local experiences. Cashing-in on the trend Deyor Camps are building one of a kind chain of branded camps, cottages, and activities and laying foundation for an underlying business around providing quality outdoor accommodation and thrilling experiences for adventure seeking travellers. They target niche segments like last-minute bookings and boutique tourist accommodations like houseboats and old havelis in Rajasthan to differentiate and offer unique stay options. In fact, the company has also partnered with local vendors to set up camps and invest in them as an acceptable alternative for leisure and corporate travellers. They also provide accommodation experiences in pilgrimage cities, tap into backpacker trips, weddings and special events.

According to one of the co-founders of Deyor Camps, Chirag Gupta, “Adventure travel is a very fragmented industry in India and Deyor Camps aims to consolidate this segment of travel. Today, we have curated 600 alternative accommodations, 1,000-plus adventure activities and 100-plus treks across the country.”

Gupta further adds that the problems of discovery, trust and experience have been seamlessly eradicated from the market as a customer is now able to access valid and valuable information before travelling. Headquartered in Gurgaon, Deyor Camps stands out for the range of facilities it provides. “Two years ago, when a traveller wanted to go rafting in Rishikesh or paragliding in Bir Billing or plan a trip to the beautiful Leh Ladakh, they would have to call friends or friend of friends who have been there in the past. Information wasn’t readily available on the net and there was no single platform where one could explore, discover and book these experiences. We have built up such a vast supply base that it becomes easy to go through the booking process and have a trusted platform to rely on,” explains the 25-year-old hands-on CEO. The start-up provides alternative accommodation and activity providers with a mobile app and a web link to manage inventory daily.

With regards to their journey since 2016, Gupta says, “Our journey has been exciting and challenging at the same time. However, we are overwhelmed with the response we have received from the market both in terms of consumers and investors. This is a niche market, 2018 is the year of adventure travel announced by Incredible India at WTM,London.” The company’s young team is mentored by Dheeraj Jain, MD Redcliffe Capital and Ankush Nijhawan, MD Travel Boutique Online. “We are fortunate for the endless valuable knowledge they possess in the fields of business expansion and travel particularly. It seems easier to make a risky decision knowing such experts are backing our moves,” says Gupta. 

Speaking about strategic partnerships and collaborations, Gupta says, “We work with companies such as Travel Boutique Online, Tripoto, Booking.com and are looking at integrations with AirBnb and MakeMyTrip.”

With a tech platform making travel planning and booking seamless, Deyor Camps sees a bright future in the area of experiential travel. “Adventure travel in India is growing at 65 per cent since 2009 and global adventure travel market size is $263 billion. I see adventure travel becoming the mainstream travel choice in India,” says Gupta. “India will become the youngest country in the world by 2021 and with millennials looking for weekend getaways at least 4.7 times a year, adventure travel is sure to gain momentum,” says Gupta regarding their long-term growth potential.

On his motto as an entrepreneur, Gupta says, “Team plays the most important role in any organisation. Keep the guys motivated, give them reason to self-initiate and treat your venture like their own. Things will happen without pushing too much.”