New year, but no new trips? Costly airfares affecting travel business

Ludhiana: As holiday season arrives, demand for domestic and international trips rise in the country. While this has multiplied the inquiries received by those in the tour and travel business in the city, they haven’t been able to land as much customers as the air and hotel fares have skyrocketed due to the increasing demand.
City travel agents are in a tizzy due to this. Gurpreet Singh Chawla, president of Micro and Small Travel Agents Association said, “There are huge inquiries for holiday packages and hotel bookings on the New Year’s day because January 1 falls on a Sunday this time, so be it schools, offices or factories, all would be closed.”
He informed that like every year, Goa remained the most sought-after domestic vacation destination for the city residents, owing to its warm weather and plenty of events happening on the New Year’s eve. However, he informed that cost for a two-way journey has nearly doubled during the last week of December. He said: “The rate of return air ticket from Chandigarh and Delhi to Goa is more than Rs 20,000 per person during the holidays, while the hotel room which usually costs Rs 8,000-10,000 per night, now cost Rs 18,000-25,000 per night. Limited availability is being cited to be the reason for this price hike.”
Same is the case for international travel.
Manjit Singh, a city-based travel agent said, “Dubai is the most sought-after international destination due to its easy visa policy and direct flights from Punjab. But not all the inquiries for Dubai are materialising as there is a huge spurt in rates of air tickets and accommodation. Airfare for a return journey from Chandigarh to Dubai during the last week of December and first week of January is whopping Rs 49,150, while that from Amritsar is at least Rs 36,000. Normally, the fare is between Rs 18,000-25,000. Same is the story with the hotel and sightseeing rates during this time.”