Tourists’ leisure is good business for travel firms

Of the 40 lakh Indians who travelled abroad in the calender year ended 1997, 4 lakh were tourists. What’s more, industry sources say the growth potential in this segment is as high as 100 per cent. Also, devaluation of currencies in South-East Asia coupled with ruthless competition among airlines and hotels has made it much more economical to travel to select destinations abroad than to pitch tent at domestic destinations. Says an SOTC official: “The discounts we have been offered by airlines and hotels have made group travel an attractive option for many customers. For instance, a seven-day packageto Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia from Mumbai costs around Rs 20,500 per person for a family of four, against a similar seven-day holiday in Darjeeling, which costs at least Rs 18,000 per person. In fact, Indians prefer to travel abroad rather than within the country due to the absence of proper infrastructure here,” the official explains.

Besides, most Indian leisure travellers are first-timers unable to secure incentives directly from abroad. They therefore approach travel agents, who pass on a part of their concessions to their clients.

And with all major travel agencies greedily eyeing the same target group, companies have had to blend business sense with pure hardsell to corner their share of the market. Package deals have become increasingly innovative and the attention to detail is phenomenal. While Thomas Cook is offering a discount of Rs 10,000 per person to the United States (US) and Europe, SOTC is giving a 50-per cent discount to a companion and two children. TCI claims it willfly a companion free on its `Europe Funtour’ or at half the price on its `US Funtour’.

Destinations in Europe and the Far East are also becoming increasingly popular. Why gaze at the Eiffel Tower when you can experience the exotica of Thailand for the equivalent of a hundred dollars? Cox and Kings, for instance, is offering a four-day Thai vacation for as little as $ 99, excluding the Rs 10,000 air fare. The fall of the Thai baht against international currencies is the main reason why a trip to Bangkok is now eminently affordable. Market leader SOTC has launched 50 new tours to destinations all over the world for the Indian tourist. Tours to Europe now include Spain and Scandinavia with a free shopover at Dubai. For those still hell-bent on the U S of A, there is now an exclusive carnival cruise of either Alaska or the Bahamas. Tours to the Far East include a sunny six-day cruise in three countries at a throw-away $ 199.

Sometimes, travel agencies realise that money is not the sole deciding factor. Themore adventurous ones, wanting to do a Robinson Crusoe, are itching to discover new locations. Obliging them is Cox & Kings, which has introduced new destinations like Hawaii, Australia, and New Zealand, hitherto untapped by Indians. Now here’s the catch: experienced travellers warn the novice to read the fine print before hopping on to a cruise boat headed for a fantasy island, say, in the Bahamas. Often enough, you will find yourself whizzing right past a tourist site hyped in the brochure rather than actually visiting it. For instance, SOTC’s European tours skip Euro Disney in Paris, while those winging it to Rome courtesy TCI will never get to see the Vatican City. Similarly, TCI’s Italian extravaganza provides only a dekko at the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Sorry, no visits. Or, a certain tour may include only bed and breakfast, leaving the tourist in an alien land hunting for the nearest source of sustenance.

Most packages which include a travel companion force clients to split a room with four others.Only, they don’t tell you that while selling the deal. Sometimes, the fine print is equally deceptive.