Archive · 19 Jan 2026
Atlys' Santosh Hegde on Trust and Visa Challenges
Santosh Hegde, who works at Atlys, a company that helps people get visas, talked about how travel marketing has changed.
He said that even though it's expensive, brands still need to use platforms like Meta and Google for advertising.
He also mentioned that organic marketing is important for building trust and that influencers play a big role in their marketing strategy.
Hegde explained that even though AI is becoming popular, people still like to plan their trips themselves.
He also talked about how Atlys handles angry customers when visas get rejected, emphasizing the importance of being transparent and responsive.
Atlys, a visa services firm, ran a unique sale offering visas for ₹1 in August 2023.
Santosh Hegde, head of marketing at Atlys, discusses the challenges of travel marketing and customer handling.
Performance marketing on Meta and Google is crucial despite rising costs.
Organic marketing and influencer marketing are key strategies for Atlys, with 60% of the marketing budget allocated to influencers.
Atlys has built its own social media channels with 1.2 million followers to establish authority in travel.
- Who
- Santosh Hegde, head of marketing at Atlys
- What
- Discussion on travel marketing, AI, and customer handling
- When
- August 2023 (unique visa sale)
- Where
- Mumbai, India
- Why
- To address the complexity of securing visas and handling customer expectations
- Company
- Atlys
- Position
- Head of Marketing
- Annual Indian Travelers
- 30 million
- Marketing Budget Allocation
- 60% to influencers
- Social Media Response Time
- Within 30 minutes
- Visa Applications Processed
- Over 2 million
- Social Media Followers
- 1.2 million across Instagram and YouTube
- Customer Acquisition Focus
- Organic marketing