UDAN opens less explored tourist destinations

Chennai: The UDAN scheme intended to make regional connectivity easy has opened up a few less explored tourist destinations.

The scheme has stimulated air connectivity between destinations in a distance of up to 800 km. Among them, Hyderabad-Nanded is the most travelled route, as per a study by Paytm Travel. Mumbai - Nanded also is one of the top routes opened up by UDAN scheme. Nanded in Maharashtra used to be a lesser known tourist destination earlier.

Similarly, Vidyanagar in Karnataka too has become known among tourists. Hyderabad to Vidyanagar is the fifth most travelled UDAN route and Bangalore- Vidyanagar is the sixth most travelled route.

Porbandar is known for being Mahatma Gandhi’s birthplace. Its tourism value has gone up in recent times. Mumbai-Porbandar is the fourth most travelled UDAN route.

Further, Hyderabad- Nanded is also one of the top 10 routes that can be travelled by flight for less than Rs 2,000.

Chennai-Cuddapah is the top sub-Rs 2,000 route, followed by Lucknow-Allahabad and Bikaner-Jaipur.

Paytm Travel 2018 also found that flight travelers book their tickets 13 days in advance to avoid last-minute surge in prices. Train travelers usually book their tickets one month in advance.

However, there are travelers who opt for last-minute booking with tatkal facility. This takes the average train booking period five days prior to journey.