DECEMBER 20198evya, 25, a marketing analyst, had booked her trip to scuba diving haven of India - Lakshad-weep Islands. A once in a lifetime experience, Devya wanted to capture every second of it. However, the latest waterproof camera (GoPro Hero 6) costs around $500 (Rs 35,000) and investing this kind of money on a camera she would require only once was a straight no. A few minutes of Google search and cou-ple of clicks later, Devya rented the GoPro with all the mounts and batteries at just 1percent of the cost. The GoPro was delivered to her doorstep and Devya's reac-tion says it all. Travel is a high investment sector - both monetari-ly and emotionally. A decade ago, eight million Indians were travelling overseas. The number has spiked to 50 million as per a report by United Nations World Trade Organisation (UNWTO). While Indians today are not shying away from opening their wallets to travel, a Ya-tra annual survey in 2017 showed that travellers want to spend more on exploring the destination and expe-riencing the local culture. Over the last few years, the OTA (Online Travel Agent) experience is being comple-mented by the dawn of the rental economy and trav-ellers have instantly taken a liking to this behaviour of owning less and experiencing more. Cameras, travel gear and transport are some of the key verticals rental companies are focussing on in order to help travellers go light on budget.CamerasToday, travel is incomplete without high-quality pictures and videos. While some use these to capture memories, for others it's all about social media presence. Whatever the objective, a DSLR camera has become an essential in every travel kit. It all seems great until you look at the cost of buying a DSLR. The basic DSLR starts at around INR 30,000 and add your basic accessories (lens, tripod, memory card) to it, and you are looking at a minimum investment of INR 70,000. Even if you are ready to spend this kind of money thinking it would be a lifetime investment, you will be sad to know that a newer model of the camera is just around the corner ­ give or take six months. Here's where rental companies are stepping in and offering cameras at one percent of the MRP. In other words, you can start renting a camera at less than the cost of a large pizza. Travel GearBeyond gadgets, travel gear rentals have caught the fancy of adventure and outdoor lovers. From tents to sleeping bags to baby strollers, rental companies are HOW RENTAL COMPANIES ARE HELPING TRAVELLERS TRAVEL LIGHTBy Akshay Bhatia, CEO & Founder, MutterflyA strong believer of shared economy, Akshay has gained robust experience in asset management and equities at Morgan StanleyDAkshay Bhatia,CEO & FounderIN MY OPINION
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