Outbound travel gets a boost

MUMBAI: All those Jain meals, bonus cruises and shopping festivals seem to be paying off. Organised outbound travel, or the number of Indians signing up for foreign tour packages, was up 10-15 per cent during April-September this year.
And, tour operators are trying to lure more traffic with lower prices in winter. Tour operators are taking advantage of a distinct shift in preferences for holiday destinations.
While the US and Europe are no longer on must-see list, a number of alternative destinations have emerged as new favourites, thanks to promotions by tourism boards of other countries.So whether it’s Mauritius, Dubai or South Africa, operators have designed low-priced packages to increase business to these countries.
"Business was up 20 per cent for us in the April-September. Our value-packages are working well in the market. This year we are offering the same tours as in 2001 for up to $300 less," says Kuoni India’s outbound division COO Zubin Karkaria.
But Karkaria wants to ensure that traditional destinations like Europe continue to figure on the traveller’s list by making these tours more affordable. For instance, Kuoni has just launched a winter package called Tour Europe Ka — Keemat Far East Ki, which is a 10-day package for $999.
Similarly, there are a number of packages to Australia, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore, including two-day cruises for Rs 27,990.
Commenting on the increase in outbound organised travel this year, Thomas Cook (India) CEO Ashwini Kakkar says, "There is an increase in business of 5 -8 per cent. But I think it is more a result of country-specific promotions by tourism boards like Malaysia and Dubai."
Agreeing that prices are down this year, Kakkar says promotions by airlines have also helped to increase outbound traffic.