Holidayers throng cool, exotic locales to beat heat

Bhubaneswar: Travellers have started making a beeline for cooler destinations with school declaring early vacation and temperature rising.
"The heat is unbearable. Schools also closed early this year. So I want to spend some days in a cool place. We have planned a week-long trip to Nainital and Mussoorie, where the temperature is 18 degree Celsius now as compared to Bhubaneswar's scorching 42 degree," said a homemaker, Sangeeta Kar.
"Bookings for tour packages have increased by 20 per cent as compared to the last year.For the past one month every day we are booking at least 10 to 15 packages. Everyone wants respite from heat and seek to explore cooler places, in India or abroad," said Partha Samal of Trip4Fun.
While destinations in north and north-east India are popular among domestic travellers, Europe, Far East and Russia top the list of international tourists. A week-long packaged trip to north-eastern destinations may cost around Rs 30,000 to Rs 45,000 per person while a week-long visit to Kashmir cost between Rs 30,000 and Rs 40,000 per person. The price of these packages varies on the category of hotels booked and services used, sources said.
"The way people travel have undergone a sea change. People from all sections and age groups are going on holiday trips. Many prefer quiet and calm places and want to avoid rush. Couples prefer lesser known hill stations, people with young children are looking for places with adventure facilities and young groups are going to places with a vibrant night life," said A K Swain, another city-based tour operator.
Europe is the most preferred destination for travellers with packages starting from Rs 1.2 lakh to Rs 1.5 lakh per person for eight nights and nine days. Similarly exotic destinations like Thailand, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Singapore with several new island destinations like Fiji, the Maldives, Mauritius and Bali are gaining attention among Odias.
"This year we booked a few packages to Russia and countries like Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. Those who are looking for a vibrant night life are going to these places. The weather is pleasant there," said Samal.
Emergence of online tour operators has also given a boost to tourism industry. "Online booking has made travelling easy. Of course one has to be cautious while booking online as sometimes there are hidden costs involved," said a frequent traveller, Abhishek Rath.