Up, up and away, no more!

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal"><span style="" font-style:="" italic="">"Amdabadis"</span> are known for their penchant for traveling. Whether it''s stylishly cruising along the Alaska snow or crazily trying out some adventurous river rafting in the Ganges, the people of Ahmedabad are always at the forefront. Usually, around the end of April, travel plans are being finalised even as kids struggle to finish their never-ending examinations and dream about cool mountain air and trekking tracks.Ahmedabad is abuzz with travel packages being customised at almost every travel agency and some cool deals being offered to enthusiastic travelers. <br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Travel Agents desperate for clients</span><br />This year though is different. The mood at most of the travel agencies is dreary and one can almost see the receptionists'' eyes light up, when one enters the foyer. With expectancy writ large on their faces the travel staff is but a trifle disappointed when they realize that this is no potential customer! “This year has been very disappointing. Compared to last year, the business is down almost 50%.� says <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Shailee</span>, who takes care of the International staff counter at Orient Tours and Travels. She adds, “ Even the number of inquiries is dismal this year. To make matters worse, some of the domestic airlines have cut down the margins that they offer to travel agencies. This has put more pressure on our business. To sustain oneself is very difficult.�<br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Natural and Man-made disasters play foul for the business</span> Last year, there was the deadly earthquake. Entertainment was the last thing on people''s minds when all they could think of was how to get themselves out of the financial rut. This year too, the timing was perfect. Even before the outset of summer, which is the peak business season for the travel industry, the riots started disrupting normalcy. <br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Size doesn''t matter- everyone suffers </span>It''s not just the smaller agencies that are suffering due to the present consequences. “Bigger establishments suffer more. We have bigger costs and hence we suffer. This year we have pegged our overall losses between 45 to 55%� avers <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Ghanshyam Joshi</span>, who is the Manager of Radheshyam Tours. Radheshyam is one of the biggest and the most prestigious travel agencies in the city. He adds, “ We had planned our usual summer Kulu Manali and South India Packages. But, this year as bookings are down, we couldn''t offer many more varied packages. Now, I feel that the next problem that we would encounter is unavailability of train bookings.� <br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">International travel the best bet for travel agencies</span> As far as international travel is concerned, people aren''t really venturing out for pleasure trips to exotic locales like Thailand, Malaysia and the other favourite locations like Pataya and Singapore. <br /><br />Most of the international bookings that agencies are registering are for USA and Canada where parents and relatives go to visit their children settled abroad. Says <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Deepika Shah</span>, who handles the international counter at one of the local agencies, “ Like every other year, this year too there are a lot of bookings for the western as well as the eastern part of the USA. The destinations like San Francisco and Los Angeles on the west coast and New York and Chicago on the east coast are the hot favourites. Out of our total international bookings around 60% have come from parents and close relatives who are going abroad to meet their children and also students who are going abroad.�<br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Optimism counts!</span><br />For the last one month, it seems that Ahmedabad is slowly limping back towards normalcy. There are a few entertainment events being organised Travel agencies are keeping their fingers crossed and hoping for the best. Lets hope people decide to pack their bags, and get set and go to somewhere up up and away, very soon!<br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">rujulpathak@indiatimes.com</span> </div> </div>