Classic Holidays, a well-known B2B travel consolidator in domestic tourism, is now strengthening its inbound focus with a commitment to personalised service, quality, and innovation. Shilpa Luthra, Senior Vice President of Strategy and Business Development, Classic Holidays, highlights how the brand is adapting to traveller trends, leveraging technology, and curating seamless, diverse experiences for travellers across India.
Established in 1997 and based in Mumbai, Classic Holidays offers personalised travel services across India. With a focus on transparent pricing, quality, and reliability, it provides diverse accommodations from resorts to villas. Now, the company is poised to expand into the inbound travel market with confidence and expertise.
Adapting to Shifts in Inbound Travel
Inbound tourism to India is steadily rebounding, and the past financial year proved to be a successful one for Classic Holidays. Shilpa has noticed a clear trend toward last-minute bookings across diverse traveller segments. She explained, “We are seeing international families finalising their itineraries just weeks before travel. There is also a noticeable rise in last-minute wellness trips, particularly among solo female travellers. Additionally, spiritual tourism is experiencing a surge in interest, largely driven by media influence, which has led to a spike in spontaneous inquiries and rapid booking requests.”
Another key trend that Shilpa notes is India’s growing prominence in global collaborations, and at Classic Holidays, they have seen a rise in inbound corporate travel. “This is where our online platform, Tripmax, is playing a pivotal role, offering instant hotel bookings and real-time solutions for business travellers,” asserted Shilpa.
Classic Holidays remains agile, with teams equipped to manage both planned and last-minute bookings. Their upgraded online tools enable quick decisions and instant confirmations.
Unique Approach to Inbound Tourism
Classic Holidays’ extensive pan-India network allows them to showcase the rich diversity of India through a wide array of inbound travel packages. They offer everything from luxury escapes and wildlife safaris to spiritual journeys, wellness retreats, culinary experiences, and adventure tours, ensuring there is something for every type of traveller.
Shilpa further emphasised, “Our strength lies in our ability to personalise each itinerary. Our experienced inbound team specialises in curating unique, off-beat and experiential programmes that go beyond the typical tourist trail, whether they seek luxury, cultural immersion, wellness, or thrill-seeking adventures. No two travellers are the same, and we pride ourselves on crafting itineraries that reflect their individual desires.”
Building Success Through Trust
For Classic Holidays, inbound tourism is one of their rapidly growing verticals. While domestic travel has always been their core strength, their expanding portfolio enables them to offer business to a diverse range of properties across all categories, including hotels, resorts, and villas, pan-India.
Shilpa highlighted, “Our long-standing relationships with hotel partners have been built on trust, transparency, and consistent business delivery. A key pillar of this success is Sanjeev Sood, our Head of Contracting, based in our Delhi office. A respected veteran in the travel trade, his hands-on approach to negotiations ensures that we secure the most competitive rates without compromising on quality.”
Focus on Quality and Care
Customisation and a personal touch define Classic Holiday’s inbound tourism approach. Every aspect of a guest’s journey is carefully planned and executed. Shilpa added, “We take quality very seriously. Our team regularly inspects vehicles, guides, and on-ground services to ensure the highest standards. There’s no room for compromise.”
While Classic Holidays primarily operates in the B2B segment, it extends personalised care to every guest, treating them as its own. Representing their international partners with unwavering professionalism, the team upholds the Indian ethos of Atithi Devo Bhava “The guest is God,” a principle they embrace with sincerity and dedication. Shilpa opined, “In today’s market, where travellers seek authentic and meaningful experiences, customisation is not just important; it is essential. It helps us build trust, create lasting impressions, and drive repeat business for our partners.”
Tripmax: The Cutting-Edge Platform
Tripmax is Classic Holidays’ travel and holiday management platform, and its technology is being strongly leveraged to enhance inbound operations. Shilpa shared, “Spearheaded by the vision of our Managing Director, Rishabh Doshi, Tripmax was designed to revolutionise the B2B travel space, and it is already making a strong mark both domestically and globally.”
Currently focused on hotel bookings, Tripmax enables instant confirmations and real-time access to the best available rates, eliminating the need for human intervention, making the process highly efficient and error-free. However, Shilpa mentioned, “Despite its tech-forward approach, we understand the importance of human support. That is why we maintain a dedicated offline team ready to assist with any complex or customised requirements.”
