Tour operators concerned as Kashmir tour cancellations rise, with no significant diversion to other destinations | File Pic
Mumbai: As travel agents are expecting 90% cancellations of Kashmir tour bookings, they are now worried for the domestic tourism business as they claim that the tourist flow is not diverting towards other available destinations.
The recent terror attack in Kashmir’s Pahalgam has hit the valley’s tourism sector right in the heart as around 40% of tourists from Maharashtra and across the country are now rethinking their holiday plans. Travel agents believe that this will also divert 90% of potential tourists shift to other destinations.
However, tour operators are worried as the tourist flow is not diverting towards other destinations. During summer, tourists usually prefer hilly destinations in the north which provide a cold climate to beat the heat. Hilly destinations in the north like Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh as well as in the North-East including Assam and Meghalaya have the potential to be the second best destinations but are not witnessing the demand.
Vishvajeet Patil, president of the Maharashtra Tour Organizers’ Association, said, “Nainital in Himachal Pradesh, Darjeeling and Sikkim can be the preferred destinations that the tourists can explore apart then Kashmir but we are not seeing the demand after Kashmir cancellations. Kashmir has been glamourised through films as a paradise on earth and many tourists are even ready to pay Rs 50,000 per night. However, they do not want to spend so much anywhere else.”
Tour operators have said that inquiries for destinations in the North-East, including, Guwahati, Shillong, Meghalaya and Assam, have increased but there are no diversions in bookings. Operators also believe that one of the major reasons that the inquiries are not materialising into bookings is because a lot of people have got their money stuck in Kashmir tour bookings.
Airlines have announced waiver of cancellation fees as well as rescheduling fees till May 7 after the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued a strong advisory to help tourists in this sensitive situation. However, those who had booked their holidays later than May 7 are also skeptical of travelling to Kashmir and are waiting for renewed advisory.
Sameer Karnani, national managing committee member of Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI), said, “A lot of people have not been able to get their money out from airlines as the airlines are not ready to give waivers post May 7. We are getting in touch with airlines requesting them to extend their deadline.” He also added that tourists are not very passionate about other destinations as they were for Kashmir.
