Opportunities abound

There is an opportunity lurking everywhere, we just need to find it. And looks like no one could have been more innovative than Gujarat based, Akshar Travels. We have the regular tourists, who do forests, beaches, forts, Himalayas, spirituality and even medical tourism. But Akshar Travels were among the only ones to offer something known as “ Election tourism.”

It was introduced by them for the first time during the 2012 elections and since then, it has been this five-year niche product offered. The founder, Manish Sharma was inspired by a "poll tourism" concept that he experienced in Mexico in 2005 and after that, Sharma conducted a trial during the Gujarat State Assembly Election to test the waters

This year, they did took around 10,000 tourists across India, on its six- to eight-day election tours. Each group is accompanied by a dedicated guide, which Akshar Travels has hand-picked and trained. Guests get to visit local villages, meet with local people, and have dinner with political leaders so they have a chance to really understand how India's democracy works.

the "Domestic Affairs of Uttar Pradesh" itinerary takes travelers through eastern India with stops in the city of Lucknow, known for its Mughal architecture and captivating culture; Ayodhya, famed for its caves and temples; and Varanasi, where political junkies can immerse themselves in the constituency of Narendra Modi.

Majority of guests tend to be researchers, university students, special interest groups, history lovers, culture enthusiasts and journalists from all over the world -- in particular, the United States, the United Kingdom and Japan.

Now this is what we call creating a niche!