Down and out? Terror, meltdown send New Year revellers indoors

Shuklas, a family of four from Rajkot, cancelled a planned trip to Goa after Amit Shukla, the head of the family, suffered a huge loss in the stock market. Their four-day-three-night Goa package was re-planned to a cheaper trip to Diu. But they had to cancel this plan as well. This time, it was terrorism that dampened their celebration spirits.

“They (my wife and children) made me cancel even the Diu trip. We don’t want to die at a hotel or take a risk of travelling when India and Pakistan are moving troops towards the border,” said Shukla.

Shuklas are not the lone case. “We love to party hard, especially at the end of the year in Mumbai or Goa. But after the Mumbai attacks, travelling is a strict no-no from the family elders. So, instead of a beach resort or a Mumbai discotheque, this time our venue is the terrace of one of our friends,” said Meher Jasani, a 32-yea-old housewife from Rajkot.

Usually, by December 20, hotels and resorts at Diu are booked for New Year celebrations. But this season, booking is open even after Christmas.

“Last Christmas, I had booked a couple of three-star hotels in Goa with tourists from Saurashtra, including Rajkot, Jamnagar and Junagadh, visiting there. This year, the response has been lukewarm,” said Naresh Kanabar, a city-based tour manager.

Kanabar, who offers services from ticket bookings, lodging and boarding, added, “Ticket (air and rail) or hotel bookings, nothing is happening.”

Jatin Saagar of Krupa Travel Agency, added: “There are lesser bookings and more cancellations. Due to the slowdown, the tourism industry is down by 30-40 per cent. Post 26/11, there has been a significant number of cancellations.”