MANGALURU: Mangalureans, who earlier used to visit international or select domestic destinations for holidaying, are now preferring the Kashmir valley as a tourist destination, according to tour and travel agencies.
Soon after the lockdown was lifted, a large number of Mangalureans thronged Goa, about 350km from here. However, now vacationers have developed a liking for Kashmir, where snowfall and the cold weather are the biggest attractions. Maldives is the most preferred international holiday destination for Mangalureans.
William D’Souza, managing director of Globe Travels, says Goa was a preferred destination for Mangalureans, soon after lockdown was lifted, and now it’s Kashmir, that otherwise was not in the bucket list of holiday destinations for them. The major reasons could be that Mangalureans who live in warm and humid weather, and amidst beaches, throughout the year, love to spend some time in the snow and hills. Secondly, Kashmir does not have much travel restrictions. They conduct RT-PCR tests on arrival at the airport, and the traveller is hospitalised if he tests positive. “We send about 70-80 tourists from Mangaluru, for holiday packages of 4-5 days in Kashmir,” said William D’Souza. The tour package with 4-5 days, costs anywhere between Rs 30,000 to 50,000, including airfare, for an individual, depending on the type of accommodation.
Vathika Pai, head of operations at Nirmala Travels, says apart from Kashmir, Andaman is another favourite destination of those wanting to go on a vacation from here. “The travel and tourism industry had picked up from the past few months. However, since a few days, due to a surge in Covid-19 cases, the bookings have taken a hit,” she said.
Adeeb, a businessman from Mangaluru, who usually preferred the Gulf and other foreign countries for holidaying, had to settle for Kashmir due to travel restrictions. “I had queried for the Maldives, but learnt that it has quarantine rules, so dropped the plan, and instead chose Kashmir. I love the weather there, and it is great to be in the lap of nature. Moreover, I found a lot of fellow Indians from other states holidaying in Kashmir,” Adeeb said.