Spend some time understanding the urban millennials.
In their 20s and 30s, they're living the most documented lives on the internet with crazy Snapchat, Instagram filters and 140 characters of a Tweet. But they rightly deserve credit for being game changers. These millennials are career breakers, students on a gap year, innovators of life-making video games, round-the-world travellers, ukulele players, hammock designers and they're breaking conventions with conviction and in perfect style.
The groundbreaking changes in the travel scene in India haven't gone unnoticed either. More youngsters are travelling than ever before. They're long-term budget travellers who are going on independently-organised trips with a flexible travel schedule. Unlike the past generation that preferred to stay in secluded resorts and hotel rooms, 70 percent of millennials like staying at hostels.
Last year, India's first chain of backpacker hostels, Zostel, came up with a one-of-its-kind entrepreneurship development program, Follow Your Heart. Eleven young entrepreneurs, who used to be working professionals, joined the movement, #followyourheart and are now proud owners of eight new travel hostels in India. These eight millennials had the courage to break out of the rut and bring about a travel revolution in India that's slowly catching up with it's western counterparts.
1. Ankush Rana
Before Zostel: Project Manager, IT Company in Germany
For Ankush, opening a travel hostel was not just about giving up on a regular career. It was about going back home, to the Kangra Valley, with a purpose strong enough to give his best to a place he called home. Zostel gave him a chance to be a part of the Indian travel startup scene and do so in a sustainable manner. He saw the opening of a hostel in Bir as an opportunity to contribute to the cause of global warming, eco-tourism and employment of the locals.
"It also helps the process of reverse immigration and reduces the load on the metros, thereby contributing in a holistic and sustainable way," adds Ankush.
2. Sagar Vishwanath
Before Zostel: Engineer at CISCO
For Sagar, the past year has been all about coming out of his comfort zone and overcoming the challenges of operating a vibrant space for travellers in Gokarna. Trekking and travelling have been his passions and venturing out as an entrepreneur with Zostel at Gokarna gave his life a turn for the best.
"It’s been an eventful year. It was our first venture into entrepreneurship and the many situations we handled, the sheer logistics have been huge! Every challenge we faced has increased our ability to handle things more effectively," says Sagar.
3. Hiren Sreenivasan
Before Zostel: Engineering graduate
His love for travelling and meeting new people sure did surpass the towering question that every engineering graduate in this country faces, "What next?"
Hiren explains the journey from an engineering graduate to a Zostel owner at Mysore. He confesses, "After engineering, I was lost and confused as people asked me to follow my passion and clearly engineering wasn't it. I loved meeting new people, partying and adventure. This is what life at Zostel is every day. I get to provide the good life to people from all over the world as well as be a part of it!" Hiren now runs the successful Zostel Mysore and understands that it's a long journey ahead, but he is a step closer to his dream.
4. Ayush Johry
Before Zostel: Business Analyst at Tredence
Lives change when you stop dreaming and living the dream instead. We've heard almost everyone exclaim at the sight of the sandy beaches of Goa, "Wouldn't it be incredible to live here forever." For the ones dreaming that dream, we now have a success story. Ayush dedicated the past year setting up Zostel Goa and now seeing new people each day at his hostel gives him a proud smile.
"Being born in the diverse country of ours, since childhood we have had a special place for the state of Goa. And when the opportunity to start our first business in Goa came knocking at our door, it was a dream come true. The journey with Zostel has been amazing and has helped us meet so many different people and know exotic cultures. This opportunity has taught us how to manage our business, staff and our resources to provide the best hospitality to our guests."
5. Ajay Negi
Before Zostel: IIM Calcutta 2014 batch graduate
Just a few months back, Zostel received a loud cheer from the travelling community on setting up the highest travel hostel in Asia and Europe at a location no one could have imagined. They chose Spiti for this project, a location just at the heart of the Himalayas. But little did we know about the insightful entrepreneur behind this project, Ajay Negi. An IIM graduate, born and brought up in Kinnaur, who experienced the location as an insider while growing up. Talking about his year long journey with Zostel he says,
"I'd seen best of both worlds – I was born and brought up in Kinnaur and then did my engineering and M.B.A. from the cities. Later, I saw tourism as a sustainable option at my hometown and also looked at it as paying my dues. Zostel, being the largest chain of backpacker hostels and having a loyal customer base, provides me with the best opportunity to further my goal to provide knowledge to the locals about the best of the sustainable tourism practices."
6. Ali Khan
Before Zostel: Businessman in Australia
Ali has been in the hospitality industry for the last 20 years and his work took him to many places around the world. Unlike others on the list, his journey started at the age of 7 when he moved from a small town outside Jaisalmer to this city to work for an uncle. Over the years, he truly earned experience in the tourism industry and set up a hostel in Jaisalmer.
Talking about the experience of the past year at Zostel Jaisalmer, he says, "Zostel has brought a great culture of exceptional hostels to India. I am proud to be part of the Zostel family. It has been such an exciting year hosting so many amazing travellers from all over the world."
7. Hemant Mishra
Before Zostel: Engineering graduate
Hemant was quick to discover his interest in biking and photography while growing up, and travelling was only about taking a step further towards what he loved to do. What followed was an opportunity #followyourheart with Zostel and last year he set up a hostel at Khajuraho.
He gave the town of Khajuraho its first backpacker hostel and speaking about this journey he shares, "Zostel is a family, it's a gang of free spirits. We together share this incredible feeling of travelling brotherhood. Every new day making new friends, sharing travel stories, helping travellers experience the very adventure of the place is not less than a celebration of life."
8. Bharat Thakur and Raj Kishore Negi
Before Zostel: Raj Kishore was a software engineer in USA and left his job to start a Zostel.
With an increasing number of individuals choosing to leave the cities for sustainable livelihoods, the trend only looks more reassuring and gives hope to individuals. The story of Raj Kishore and Bharat was not just about letting go of the corporate world, but also about taking a calculated risk by opening up a Zostel in Manali and making it a success.
"We left metro cities in search of a better life back home but never imagined that life would bless us this well. Looking after our guests seems like a way of life, welcoming them as strangers and bidding goodbye as friends," say the proud owners of Zostel Manali.
Are you ready to bring that change to your life?
Click here to know more about Zostel #followyourheart project.
Fill this form to register yourself for Zostel Entrepreneurship Development Program.