Ticket to pride
In 2008, when Prasenjit Chaudhuri moved from a village in West Bengal to Bengaluru, he was 'trying to fit in'. 'I was going through a crisis. Someone I loved moved out of India. There was a void, a lull, exhaustion from the endless parties I was attending here,' says Prasenjit. To get his mind off things, he went on a trek with a group of strangers. And it was love at first hike. 'There were solo trekkers and that gave me space to connect. They were also seeking something. Their headspace was different. I was able to connect better with people. On my second trip, I was coming out to strangers,' he says. He says that the sessions around the campfire were when people opened up and there was no judgement. That gave him the confidence to come out at home.
'I was little more happy and felt empowered and wondered if I could take the same experience to others from the LGBTQIA+ community. We could use treks as a glue to bring people together and connect,' he says. After researching different trails, Prasenjit started a group called Come Out And Trek in 2015. The name cleverly devised as it had the element of coming out. Later as it turned into a travel company the name changed to Out and About, given its largely outdoorsy nature. The first trek was to Gokarna.
Prasenjit was working at Cisco at that time but his heart was in the curation of this safe bubble that he had created for the community. On each trek they would make allies, while sensitising people on the trail. Now 98% of his clients are queer people. 'We also have queers who are introverted, socially anxious, neurodivergent. Queerness is not performative for them, they just want to exist,' he says adding that these trips give them the space to just be.
While Out and About started with trekking, it has branched out to doing surfing holidays, kayaking, cycling and exploratory trips, bioluminescence tours, camping etc. He says his trips help people pick up hobbies. 'We have the knack of finding unique experiences. We are going to Sadhna forest and Solitude farm in Auroville. We do Kashmir often. We are going to Nagaland again, to villages not many have been to before. This month we are doing a wellness retreat with sound healing, ice bath, pottery, tea ceremony etc. In November we will be going to Thailand,' he says.
Mostly in the 20-65 age group, more than 3,000 people have travelled with Out and About which organises almost 30 trips in a year. Prasenjit has seen the number of clients increase by 80% and he is of the opinion that the country needs more queer tour groups.
While a majority of Prasenjit's clientele is Indian, other travel groups like Indja Pink and Pink Vibgyor that cater to the community get clients mostly from abroad.
Sanjay Malhotra who started Indja Pink 18 years ago believes his company is the pioneer for gay tourism in India. It started with travels to India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bhutan for gay men only. In India, Delhi, Jaipur, Varanasi, Agra, Ladakh, Mumbai, Goa, Tamil Nadu and Kerala are the most popular destinations.
'I am a proud gay man and a passionate traveller,' says Sanjay who is also a designer and has showcased at Lakme Fashion Week. 'Whenever I travel all over the world, I look for companies which are not just gay friendly but cater exclusively to gay men. I feel comfortable because there is no fear of discrimination or harassment. I prefer staying at boutique luxury gay accommodation that cater to people who have similar interests,' he adds.
This is a niche clientele. But one that travels a lot. 'The gay community travels at least twice as much as other members of society, including heterosexual couples. They have disposable income and enjoy travelling. When I started, there was a dearth of people catering to this segment,' Sanjay says. Though quite a few travel companies have jumped onto this bandwagon, he feels that many travel giants do not understand the concept, meaning, depth, and sensitivity that is involved in catering to this clientele.
At Indja Pink, travellers — largely aged 50 and above — are from the US, Canada, western Europe, Australia, and New Zealand... The tours are personalised, intimate with attention to hobbies and passion of the travellers. 'We don't do readymade, run of the mill itineraries,' he says. He also encourages his clients to communicate with the local community and they invite them home for cocktails and dinner, so there is an exchange of ideas. 'Accommodation is at boutique luxury properties and are not at massive hotels, where every kind of facility is available but it is impersonal and the charm is missing,' says Sanjay who also launched India's first guesthouse for gay men only called Mister & Art House in Delhi, with two other coming up in Jaipur and Goa.
Rajat Singla started Pink Vibgyor in 2010. He has seen his clientele grow by 20 percent every year. He says that along with curation, what is also imperative is to sensitise everybody who is part of the company and the supply chain. In 2010, he faced an issue when his guides asked a gay couple about their wives. 'Hotel receptions on seeing two men wanting a room, gave them a twin bed,' he says, adding, 'So, we started training our guide and agents, we also had a word with the hotel properties and explained to them. Our clients want to be accepted, feel safe and see India in a comfortable manner. All the guides, agents, and drivers should understand their needs.'
Starting with trips to India, Pink Vibgyor has now expanded to Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Cambodia. 'Asia still has this charm of being exotic. Westerners love the idea of travelling to this part of the world,' says Rajat. Other than tours and sightseeing and experiences, these tours also have what Rajat calls 'spicy inclusions' like gay saunas and spas among others.
Pink Vibgyor's tours are for everybody from the LGBTQ community. The clientele — mostly male — is primarily aged 55 and above, while Indian travellers are in the 24-40 category. First time visitors from abroad visit Rajasthan and Agra. The second time South India, then Khajuraho, Varanasi, tiger reserves etc. People also like to go to Kashmir, and Leh. If they want something exotic then they head to Nepal, Bhutan, or beaches of Sri Lanka.
Sometimes when their clients from abroad have a fantastic experience with them, they go back and recommend it to their family members and even if they are not from the community, Pink Vibgyor organises trips for them. Says Rajat, 'They want someone they can trust, with a good reputation, and someone who can tailor make their itinerary.'
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