Banking on the virtually untapped space of luxury travel in India, FABgetaways broke into the scene to help the Indian traveller “live their wanderlust in the most luxurious way possible”.
The luxury travel industry in India is wide open. The definition of travel itself has undergone changes in the last few years. Zeroing in on the best properties from across the world, FABgetaways offers curated travel deals, and ensures that travellers experience holidays with a touch of luxury.
Raaj Bajaj, Founder & CEO of FABgetaways, started the members-only luxury travel platform in April this year with the aim of giving Indian travellers experiential vacations. It was born out of an idea that was formed in Raaj's mind since his college days at IIM Shillong to have his own business, preferably in the travel industry. He and his team started working on an e-commerce platform for travellers in October 2017 when he realised that the Indian luxury travel market was largely unexplored.
India's luxury market is, however, booming, according to the report 'Shaping the Future of Luxury Travel' commissioned by travel tech company Amadeus. The sector is expected to grow at an annual rate of 13 per cent, paving the way for FABgetaways, which is the first members-only affordable luxury travel platform. Since FABgetaways' commencement, over 30,000 members have joined the luxury travel platform.
The Ahmedabad-based company has also partnered with various 4-star, 5-star and boutique hotels such as Fairmont, Jumeirah, St Regis, Ritz-Carlton, Taj, Viceroy, Relais & Châteaux, Hard Rock, Sofitel and Leading Hotels of the World (LHW) among others.
Luxury travel, however, is not confined to any particular class or age group. And that's where FABgetaways has capitalised. Apart from travel enthusiasts and social media influencers, FABgetaways has got a good response from people who regularly follow travel updates. People from across India are keen on luxury vacations, family holidays or romantic getaways for couples that could range from Rs 8,000-9,000 to Rs 3 lakh.
“We don’t get an enquiry just about a luxury room. It’s more than that,” says Raaj. “We offer exciting inclusions like complimentary meals, private dinner by the beach, traditional spa treatments, personalised honeymoon welcome, access to premium clubs, guaranteed upgrades, complimentary snorkeling and kayaking, a day in a houseboat on the famous backwaters of Kerala, a 24-hour butler... the list is endless—just to make their stay memorable. And all for the price listed on our platform. Our travel specialists get the most amazing ‘limited time only’ holiday deals from hotels all around the world. Our mission is to give you the most amazing handpicked luxury holidays at equally amazing prices upto 80 per cent off and ensure that our client’s time away is perfect.”
“We have a lot of traction from metropolitan cities such as Mumbai, Bangalore, New Delhi, Hyderabad and also from cities such as Ahmedabad, Surat, Pune, Jaipur and the likes,” says Raaj. “The age group between 23 and 40 is the one which has shown the most interest. However, we have helped a 70-year-old gentleman plan a family holiday and also an 18-year-old teenager plan a vacation with friends with our deals so there is pretty much something for people of every age on our platform.”
FABgetaways is on point while offering deals on luxury properties that may not be available elsewhere. The company wants to ensure that it doesn't miss out on the affordable luxury travel market. It also offers marketing platforms to hotel and property partners who are looking to boost themselves in the luxury travel market. Deals on these properties are available on the FABgetaways website for a limited time, allowing members, who have signed up, to book it.
So, now that FABgetaways has managed to get a strong footing in the luxury travel industry, what does the future hold for the company?
“In the near future, we would be open to look at investments that would help us scale up,” says Raaj. Chiripal Group, a leading textile group, is one of the main investors in the travel platform, and Raaj says that its MD Brijmohan Chiripal has been closely working with FABgetaways.
Raaj also adds that while the company is keen on expansion, the focus right now is on building a trusted member-base and their brand name.
