India’s Outbound Tourism Faces 60-80% Cancellation Amid West Asia Conflict; International Travellers Hit By Fear Of Uncertainty And Sky-high Airfares

Mumbai-based Sameer Karnani, managing committee member of Travel Agents Association of India and the chairman of its airline council, said that various group departure companies have discontinued their departures for the upcoming season. “While safety is the first concern of travellers while visiting an international destination, the rising airfares is the second-most contributing factor to these cancellations. Around 60% of the international bookings have been completely cancelled or have been shifted to domestic travel,” he said.

Mumbai-based Kumar Verma, who is the director of travel company Saturday Script, said that he has witnessed around 70-80% cancellation of international bookings. “There is a fear of uncertainty among the travellers about their journey as well as the situation back at home. Indians don’t view tourism as a necessity and in such times of panic, they avoid luxury. Unlike the Covid-19 pandemic, travellers have not received any advisory from the government about their travel and therefore people are also thinking about postponing their plans,” he said.

Airspace Closures and Soaring Costs

The crisis combines safety fears with prohibitive costs due to airspace closures, soaring airfares and logistical gridlock. Major aviation corridors over the Gulf have been restricted, forcing airlines to take longer paths to reach the West. Along with the recent fuel surcharge announced by airlines, it has led to a multifold surge in airfares. Moreover, Middle Eastern hubs like Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha, which act as major transit points for Indian and Gulf carriers, the uncertainty at these hubs has made travelers wary of getting stranded far from home.

With the airfares to the West increasing two-fold, tour packages have become increasingly expensive for Indian travellers. Tour operators reported that the traditional summer rush for foreign destinations has vanished. Travel agents highlighted that there have been negligible amount of enquiries for international travel packages since the start of the conflict. Even regions far from the conflict, such as the East and Southeast Asia, are seeing a decline in interest due to the rising airfares.

However, this has shifted the international travellers towards domestic destinations. Karnani said that a few of the international bookings are being converted to domestic packages for Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh or nearby regions in the northern belt. “Those who want to change their plans from the West to the East are also finding the airfares very costly. The market recession and the falling rupee combined have also created problems. Therefore people are focusing more on domestic travel now,” he said.

According to Verma, people are trying to shift their destination towards the East or the Asian subcontinent but are obstructed by costly airfares. Destinations like Singapore, Malaysia, Bhutan and Sri Lanka are open but people are avoiding it solely due to the airfares. “Domestic destinations are seeing its usual seasonal-wise high demand but the international travellers are not converting to domestic travellers due to either their preference or overcrowding,” he added.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/indias-outbound-tourism-faces-60-80-cancellation-amid-west-asia-conflict-international-travellers-hit-by-fear-of-uncertainty-and-sky-high-airfares