KOZHIKODE: Gone are the days people preferred water theme parks and waterfalls to spend their summer holidays. city dwellers are looking to explore the exotic locations in Thailand and chilling climate of Kullu-Manali and Ladakh these days. Despite the demonetization hitting the business badly, the number of families preferring vacation trips to far distant places is more. “Majority of our customers are preferring countries like Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore, which are of low cost travels during this summer. The cost per person to visit these countries costs around Rs 30,000. Among domestic locations, Kullu-Manali, Agra et al are some of the widely chosen destinations,” said UAE Exchange Tours Assistant manager Najmuddeen C.
“While youth prefer Thailand, families are opting for Malaysia usually,” added a representative of Akbar Travels Holidays. The demand for overseas destinations is due to the high price of air tickets to the Indian holiday destinations, say the tour managers. While entire travel and accommodation in Thailand or Malaysia costs Rs 30,000, one–way air fare to Delhi itself has shot up to Rs 17,000 during the summer. “Most of the people plan travels during the last few days, and by the time air fares to local destinations would be very high. Naturally the best way is to go for places like Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore or Bali where one can spend four days and three nights within Rs 30,000 range,” said Uma Mohan, tour manager of Safiya Travels. Though bit expensive, Hong Kong is another location preferred by people, due to the ‘Visa on Arrival’ facility. She opined that families have also started opting for Thailand compared to previous years when only bachelors and youth prefer to go.
All-women groups trend
All-Woman groups are also slowly taking roots in city like in other major cities, among a good per cent preferring for overseas vacation. “We are getting bookings from all-women groups, and these days they prefer overseas destinations including Thailand. Travelling to these countries is not at all risky and that’s why most of them prefer overseas. One of our woman customers from the city prefer going alone every year to such destinations,” said Safiya Travels Tours manager Uma Mohan.
Jyotsna P. Katayaprath, a teacher is one among an all-woman seven –member team from the city planning to visit Mangalore, Goa and Ajanta-Ellora caves this summer. “We all met through Facebook and then decided to take this trip. All of us are employees and we hope this would be a trip to get out from all those work related stress,” she said. “It is not a properly planned trip like all bookings done in advance. We have decided to face things as it is and to have an ever memorable trip,” she added. Akhila Unnikrishnan, an assistant engineer with LSG department travelled recently North India with an all-woman team in order to get a relief from the work stress. “It very conformable travel in such a group” she said.
