More Indians may spend New Year holidays abroad
Indians might be holidaying overseas this Christmas-New Year season than last year as relatively cheaper fares and packages, better connectivity, and easier entry requirements have made the proposition more compelling.
Tour and travel companies such as Thomas Cook, SOTC and EaseMyTrip have seen up to 30% uptick in demand for short-haul international routes compared to last year. Packages for many of these destinations are comparable with those for popular domestic spots, as some countries are actively wooing Indian travellers with visa-free entry and by nudging airlines to offer easy connectivity at affordable rates.
Consider this.
A Simply Thailand Thomas Cook package for six days costs ₹56,508 per person while an Andamans with Neil air inclusive package for six days costs ₹59,400. A Simply Dubai six-day package costs ₹70,497 while a Kerala Delight Xmas and New Year air inclusive package for six days costs ₹63,990 per person.
Similarly, a seven-day 'Crazy Deal Bali' SOTC package with water sport activities costs ₹67,752 per person while a seven-day SOTC Assam and Meghalaya package costs ₹62,490 per person.
«International fares to some destinations are quite competitive and hotel room rates are very reasonable,» said Ajay Prakash, board member of industry body Federation of Associations for Indian Tourism and Hospitality (FAITH). «The recent move by neighbours such as Sri Lanka, Thailand, and now Malaysia making travel visa free for Indians make these places more desirable.»
In fact, according to him, international travel is looking more «robust» than domestic travel.
Rajesh Magow, cofounder and group CEO of MakeMyTrip, said the firm is seeing a significant increase in travel to Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, and
