Auxilia Networks is a boutique tourism consultancy firm set up to provide value to agencies and organisations in overseas markets that want to enter the India market or expand their presence here, and to foster engagement between foreign and Indian trade entities. Over the years, Paramjit S. Bawa, Founder and Principal, Auxilia Networks, has built and grown a wide network of tourism contacts all across India and many other parts of the world, which he is now leveraging to make his business work.
– Prashant Nayak
Auxilia Networks has several verticals such as E-Learning, Representation, and Training along with Physical and Online workshops on making overseas professionals India-ready. They instruct on how to engage with Indian customers and businesses. They also have a Sports Consultancy division. Under the Representation vertical, they work with DMC partners in East and West Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. Auxilia also represents a prominent London-based e-learning platform, LVG Learning, and Networking, as well as Australian Attractions which is one of Australia’s biggest tourism representation companies, with a portfolio of over 20 key Australian products and attractions, all of which they are promoting in India market.
In terms of DMC business last year vis-à-vis this year, Paramjit said that Auxilia did not conduct significant DMC business last year as they were still establishing their contracts with partners and solidifying their networks and infrastructure. “This year’s summer peak season has seen very healthy movements to our offered destinations like Hungary, Czechia, Austria, Croatia as well as Australia (both for groups and FIT). MICE and corporate groups have been particularly strong for us across all destinations. Forward bookings from July up to Diwali are also strong. I feel India outbound is spreading its wings to increasingly newer destinations (too many to name) that weren’t that popular pre-COVID, and the outbound segment has never been busier,” shares Paramjit.
After the pandemic, the travel landscape has changed considerably, and with it also the marketing and selling environment. Today, often the customer has more knowledge than the agent about the destination they’re looking at. On digital platforms where once travellers could book just flights and hotels, one can now curate entire multi-point itineraries. “AI is the next big challenge where one can generate a detailed itinerary within seconds. So, what will be the relevance of a conventional tour operator or a DMC? I believe today, we are more of trouble-shooters and fire-fighters rather than curators. This is because the dashmydash.coms of this world are great for arranging vouchers and even chalking out an itinerary at a great price. All is hunky dory – until something goes wrong. That’s when travellers need someone to pick up their call and solve their crisis at 3 am. Or arrange some funds within minutes because their money was stolen. When you club these kinds of exclusive services with product knowledge and solid customer relationship skills, then you will always be in the game and be competitive viz-a-viz online platforms and the like,” opines Paramjit.
When asked what it takes for a DMC to stand out from others? “Reputation,” responds Paramjit. DMCs who have been consistently present in a market with a generally good track record will always have an edge. In today’s scenario where business has become so cut-throated and competitive, the DMC that offers the best price and some credit will also have an edge. Credit is the best or the worst thing depending on which side of the transaction fence one is sitting but what I am seeing is that it is becoming less prevalent than it used to be because no one knows for sure how financially sound anyone is after three years of COVID-induced devastation.”
DMC work was not originally a priority for Auxilia Networks when they set up the business. E-learning and training were key focus areas and will continue to be. Paramjit explains, “We decided we could perhaps offer DMC services in destinations where there was a bit of a gap in the India market (like some of the East European ones) or in markets that I have personally been engaged and am familiar with since a long time (like Australia). The key was to pick our partners well, which happily we have been able to do. Now it’s more of a consolidation mindset – not necessarily working in more markets, but getting better at what we are doing in terms of quality and new ideas. We are working on organic growth and in a phased manner, for example expanding the Auxilia team to other Indian cities.”
On their marketing and promotion front, Paramjit says, “The real value is in the relationships and network that I have built over the years. This is what’s helping Auxilia and its clients/partners to close business. B2B events and shows are another good way out. Currently, everyone is realising the cost-effectiveness and more importantly, the reach of social media and social network platforms. Also, a good smartphone with a long battery backup is critical.”
