New Delhi: After almost 8 months of restrictions, people are venturing out for various experiences in the post-pandemic world. Against this backdrop, Paytm Insider, India’s leading entertainment ticketing platform, is set to resume listings for on-ground events.
For comedy shows and movie screenings, the platform has already listed stand-up comedy shows in Punjab and Mumbai, and drive-in movie screenings in Telangana’s first drive-in movie theatre, and Diwali movie screenings at the Westin in Pune. To resume travel experiences in a major way, Paytm Insider has collaborated with front running travel organizers to list over 100+ events since October. Through these associations, the platform will enable riveting shared experiences to those who have been confined to their homes for the last couple of months.
The site boasts of a wide range of adventure trips including Gokarna beach trek and camping, Pawna lake camping, Kudremukh trek, Ramnagara cycling, and water activities, Bir Billing paragliding and trekking, and Har Ki Doon trek. While facilitating thrilling and much-needed holiday experiences, travel organizers have strict safety precautions in places such as temperature checks, mandatory use of masks and sanitizers, social distancing, and regular sanitization of vehicles and homestays.
One of the travel organizers, 3-Wheeler Ride is also optimistic on the way forward as a spokesperson from their team said, “We know that days spent traveling and exploring are invaluable; traveling effortlessly and artfully is priceless. Hygiene and cleanliness, on a hotel’s standards across both these parameters before booking or visiting, is our prime focus area now. Our staff have been provided with guidance concerning the continued monitoring of their personal health and maintaining safety norms. Here’s hoping that we all emerge stronger from the pandemic and that things return to normal at the earliest.”
Balraj Ghai from Habitat, a performance venue in Mumbai added “The impact of the virus and the subsequent lockdown has shown us the value of experiences, how memories are created that last a lifetime (or maybe even get passed on as stories) memories with the family, friends, and anyone dear to us. Sanitization and safety precautions are a must, and where people earlier bunched up, currently there’s more than ample room for an individual, whether seated or standing in a well-defined zone. So such measures have come in only to make it a vastly better experience.”
Paytm Insider ran a survey to understand the demand for on-ground events. It noted that on-ground events in various categories such as music, comedy, festivals, travel, and adventure, were found to be the most popular preferences. 69% of the surveyed audience was willing to venture out for events that ensured safety protocols such as mandatory masks, social distancing, temperature screening, disinfected seats, and disinfection booths as these would make them feel safer. Preferred formats were open-air events, limited seating shows, and drive-in experiences.
Speaking on the development, Shreyas Srinivasan, CEO of Paytm Insider said, “We are thrilled to see on-ground events on our platform after a long gap. I am sure people are looking forward to stepping outside their homes and seeking out these experiences. While online events will continue to bring innovative event formats to our audiences, we are seeing the resurgence of on-ground events with limited capacity and safety norms. We see the two co-existing in hybrid variations going forward with on-ground events being streamed online to make them accessible globally.”
