The cultural adventure specialist, part of Inside Travel Group (ITG), has debuted a range of 12 itineraries, which it said went "way beyond" India's cultural triangle.
In early 2024, the operator brought in India specialist of more than 20 years Jess Andrews to work on the launch. “India is a sleeping giant," said Andrews, ITG's south Asia programme manager.
"It’s a place of almost endless adventure and diversity, which has been so under-serviced by the majority of the UK travel industry for many years," said Andrews.
Andrews, who has previously worked with Ampersand and Abercrombie & Kent, was tasked with developing a "standout" India programme for the brand.
“We set out to shake up the market and offer cultural adventures with our own ‘Inside Travel’ stamp, aiming to represent this vast country and the variety of culture and people that make it so special," she explained.
InsideAsia's 12 initial itineraries span more than 80 destinations across six regions, blending immersive cultural experiences and visits to community-led initiatives in both "off-radar" and more established destinations with carefully curated accommodation options.
Andrews continued: "We have gone way beyond the ‘Golden Triangle’ and really hope that we can start showing people what India offers and that it is not just the places, but the culture and people that make it an amazing place to experience. But this is just the start.”
Inside Travel Group Co-founder Alastair Donnelly, who hinted at the launch to TTG earlier this year, said: “India has long been a missing piece of our Asia puzzle. This is our first new destination to launch since 2022, and we believe that with India, we have something incredible.”
To build the programme, Inside Travel has recruited a team of five specialists, all of whom have travelled extensively or lived in the country. These include India sales and product specialist, Brandon Clements, who joined the team earlier this year after 13 years at Abercrombie & Kent as their India specialist.
“Jess and the team have shown that there is a conscious effort to offer something very different to what is already out there on the market and to do things differently, and that is what was so exciting for me,” Clements explained.
Popular draw cards are covered in the 20-night Northern India’s Greatest Hits offering the opportunity to see sunrise over the Ganges and marvel at the sheer scale of the Taj Mahal.
Itineraries showcasing lesser-known sides of India include South India’s Culture & Wildlife, which features a jeep or river safari in the Kabini forest reserve in Karnataka, where tigers, leopard, elephant, crocodile and rare birdlife are often spotted. And for a different side to Kerala, the 14-night Northern Kerala Explorer is offered.
Clements added: “For incredible beaches, quiet backwaters and local life, Neeleshwar in Northern Kerala is hard to beat and so different to the busy backwaters of southern Kerala.”
In total there are 12 cultural adventures now available on the InsideAsia Tours website, with the team emphasising that these are a snippet of what is possible within the destination: “Each trip offers inspiration that our specialists can help mould into an incredible India experience,” said Andrews.
Donnelly, who previously told TTG the group would be sharpening its trade focus as it grows its Asia offering, added: “As a B Corp that prides itself on using ‘travel as a force for good’ we hope that we can encourage people to explore beyond the usual, ‘get beneath the surface’ and give back to communities across the country that would benefit from cultural adventure tourism."
