As we desperately try to get away from the pandemic in 2021, travel is one of the few things going through a massive transformation. While on the one hand, travellers want to travel freely still but on the other, they knew the need to adapt to the new norms. Planning travel has become crucial. Travel itineraries and travel must-haves have drastically changed. Vaccine certificates, masks, sanitisers and social distancing have become most critical. Due to fewer flight available for international travel, domestic travel has been on the rise. Within domestic travel, heritage travel has emerged as one of 2021's fastest-growing vertical.

Heritage Tourism is travelling to experience the activities and places that initially represent the past and present people and stories. In other words, Heritage Tourism is a type of travel where you search for an authentic understanding of how something, or a people, was like. Here are a few great tips if you are planning heritage travel in 2021:

1. Plan your budget and financing means

Coming up with a realistic travel budget is the first and essential step towards planning a great vacation. Have a detailed and practical look at your finances by creating an income and outgoings sheet. A travel budget includes pre-departure expenses, flights, accommodation, activities to do etc. It's wise to plan and budget ahead about how much you can spend on a trip and how much money you have left in your account in case of an emergency. An old but unbeaten strategy to cut down on your travel cost avoids a trip during the peak seasons.

2. Use your savings 

As a traveller, saving to travel the world doesn't have to be made into something complicated. Set up a recurring monthly deposit into your travel saving fund, and put unexpected windfalls into that account as well. If you start saving now for future travel plans, you're likely to reach your goal faster. Being able to subdivide your savings account and accept that you might have a bit less money to spend on other things in the month is a good thing. Your travel savings plan might not have immediate value, but if you can wait six or seven months or however long you plan to save to travel the world, you will be rewarded in leaps and bounds.

3. Personal /Travel Loan

Smart travellers often choose this option when they have to travel unexpectedly. Rather than removing money from your emergency savings or a robust investment portfolio, using a personal or holiday loan to consume y0our travel expenses helps you keep your finances on track. Without mentioning, you need to make sure you can repay the loan on time, making space for the EMIs in your monthly budget.

4. Chit Fund

Chit funds were initially introduced to suit the convenience and budget of different people. These chits are a means of regular savings and funding to help you plan to purchase a big-ticket item like jewellery, car or funding travel. For secure, safe and effortless investment, invest using digital chit fund app like The Money Club.

The Money Club is a safe and secure mobile platform for the Peer-to-Peer Chit fund or Committee. In times of need, you can also borrow money that is multiples of what you have invested. Money Club provides you with a group of verified members with whom you can pool up money.

5. Credit Card

Travellers could opt for a travel credit card or a credit card, which gives an option of EMIs for funding their travel. Credit cards allow anywhere from 20 days to almost a month to repay interest-free. Travel credit cards are set up specifically for travel-related expenses to be more competitive than regular credit cards. Travellers have a variety of credit cards to choose from as travel credit cards offer extra air miles and tie-ups with specific airlines and discounts on hotel stays, dining, and easy transactions.

6. Travel Operator Financing

Many travel operators partner with banks and NBFCs to offer financing schemes. This is how you can quickly pay for tickets, meals, stay, sightseeing and other travel expenses during the trip. Interest rates for these schemes are not high compared to rates for personal loans, along with repayment options that may be spread out over 1-5 years. There is typically an upper limit for how much these schemes will cover, though, so keep that in mind.

7. Pick Your Destination 

Many travellers are now on the lookout for deeper and more meaningful travel experiences, heritage tourism. With a diverse and rich culture and history, India is a perfect destination for heritage travel. Idiosyncratic edifices, distinctive culture and the determination to keep this incredibility have preserved for us an era no short of phenomenon. We have handpicked the 5 top places to visit for Heritage travel in India:

Agra (Uttar Pradesh): Agra is one of India's most popular heritage cities influenced by the rulers ruling it in different historical eras. Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, Fatehpur Sikri, Jama Masjid, Moti Masjid, and Mehtab Bagh are the top places in Agra, highlighting the rich cultural heritage of the city.

Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh): When we speak about Varanasi, images of riverside ghats, colourful markets, temples and saffron-clad priests come to the mind. The famous and divine Ganga aartis in the evening and the five day classical music & dance extravaganza during the Ganga Mahotsav form a considerable part of the city's culture.

Khajuraho (Madhya Pradesh): Countless sculptures of cult icons, goddesses and demigods that depict grace, love, beauty and sensuality can be seen in the temples Khajurao. This place is a perfect amalgamation of Jainism and Hinduism; the culture and heritage make it one of the must-visit places for heritage travel.

Hampi (Karnataka): Hampi is one of the most beautiful world heritage sites. Situated in the Northern part of Karnataka, this place is famous for holding the ruins of the ancient kingdom of Vijaynagar. The ruins of Hampi reflect the Dravidian style of living and architecture.

Kaziranga National Park (Assam): Kaziranga National Park is one of the top ten must-visit UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India. It shelters more than 35 species of animals that are endangered. You may come across one-horned rhinoceros or a herd of horned elephants, or wild buffaloes. 

Booking travel tickets and hotels

Book flight and accommodation once you choose your destination. Hotel bookings have historically been easy to cancel without penalty within a day or two of arrival. Since the pandemic, airlines, too, have become much more consumer-friendly by waiving cancellation penalties and allowing fliers to rebook their trips without fees. Always make sure you check the flexible cancellation policies. Do book all connecting transports like rental cars or train before you leave for travel. 

Buy the Right Travel Insurance

Travel insurance helps and protects the investments you have made for your travel. Though purchasing travel insurance is optional, it does help you avoid losing money on travel expenses if plans get cancelled. Before the Covid - 19 pandemic, travel insurance companies may have been discreet around their exclusions. Many travel insurance companies want to be as transparent as possible and let their customers know precisely what their policies cover, so there is no confusion about claims.

The modern-day traveller is looking out to get the most out of the trips they make. They look forward to discovering something new about themselves and weave a story. If travellers are longing for the excitement of new and advantageous encounters with heritage places across India, it is a real deal to plan well and travel. The raw experiences in visiting your dream destinations conquer your fears, and there is no time like the present to start planning with utmost safety and all necessary precautions.

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Also read / see

1. Ghats of Kashi

2. Why Varanasi is a pilgrim destination

3. Khajuraho Temples

4. Deeper meaning behind erotic sculptures of Khajuraho

5. All you wanted to know about Hampi