Uber, American Tourister team to promote everyday tourism

Mumbai is a labyrinth of experiences—from cultural to culinary and everything in between. Keeping this in mind, Uber and American Tourister arranged hyperlocal city tours on April 3. The concept included entering the code UBERTOURISTER in the promotions tab of the app, which would then unlock a hidden view. Once connected, the participants could select any one from the five expert-led tours—Picturesque Bandra, The Fortress that Bombay Once Was, Parsi Potpourri at Dadar, A Southie Food Trail in Matunga, and The Trail by the Lake in Thane.

Initial hiccups
On a first-come first-serve basis, several individuals were confirmed and later segregated into groups. The one-and-a-half hour long tours were free of cost and led by expert guides. For travel blogger Kaushal Karkhanis, it was a case of serendipity as he had planned to meet up with a couple of overseas friends in SoBo to show them around. After being confirmed for ‘The Fortress that Bombay Once Was’ group, he took his friends along on the tour. He shares, “While it was difficult getting connected and being confirmed for the tour, once we were on it, we absolutely loved it. Being in Mumbai all our lives, we often take its history for granted.” Psychologist Sabina Lassanwala, who was also part of the SoBo tour, faced similar difficulty in getting connected. She shares, “I had heard about the tours on a radio channel and tried connecting on the app. However, there was a long waiting period before I actually got confirmed. I wish there was more clarity about the initial process.”

The discovery
However, Lassanwala appreciated the discovery part of the tour. She adds, “Our guide, who was from an architectural background, was really great at explaining everything. Before this tour, I never realised how much of Mumbai’s history is influenced by the British and that, in a way, made me feel disconnected with it.” In the same breath, she adds, “I wish Mumbai’s history is also included in the curriculum for students so they are well aware of the rich history.” The SoBo tour focused on the art and architecture of the area, and participants were taken to places like the Town Hall, Horniman Circle, Flora Fountain, David Sassoon Library, Churchgate, CST and the Blue Synagogue, with stops at famous art galleries. Anushree Tainwala, Executive Director, Marketing, Samsonite South Asia Pvt. Ltd. shares, “‘Tourister Your Everyday’ is the brand new line of thought wherein American Tourister is showing everyone how to squeeze more out of their daily routine. This activity is also an effort to give Mumbaikars an opportunity to live like a tourist in their own city, and who else to bring this concept alive than Uber, which makes the entire city more accessible.”