Tourists play cards right this season

NEW DELHI: The travel industry appears unperturbed by demonetisation, largely because most bookings were made in advance and through online sources. Travel agents and aggregators said whatever hiccups they did face were short-lived with tourists keen on yearend getaways.

Travellers who made bookings months in advance have been the least affected by the scrapping of old 500 and 1,000 currency notes. Also, travel aggregators reported a visible rise in the number of transactions made through credit and debit cards. Whether it’s international travel or within the country, people appear more cautious about saving currency.

Several last-minute vacationers have zeroed in on less expensive domestic travel destinations, such as Rajasthan and Munnar, for quick getaways. “Contrary to the usual preference for international destinations, we have seen a number of travellers opting for domestic locations this winter. As availability of ATMs and alternate modes of payment are uncertain in hills, travellers are more cautious about spending cash,” said Sharat Dhall, chief operations officer, yatra.com.

Goa still tops the popularity charts among beach spots other than Andaman and Nicobar Islands and southeast Asian destinations, such as Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia.

Even though Goa is going to be considerably quieter this year with most EDM festivals scheduled outside the Christmas-New Year period, it remains the perfect time to get one’s feet wet in some warm ocean water. Though the initial reaction to demonetisation led to fewer people planning impromptu holidays, the trend stabilised over time, as per travel aggregator analytics. “It was only a hiccup for travellers caught unawares by demonetisation,” said Hari Nair, founder & CEO, HolidayIQ.

According to yatra.com, at least 38% travellers have opted for accommodations under Rs 4,000 (per night) with a marginally lower 35% travellers picking up pricier hotels.

“Initially, there was some apprehension in the market -- travel is a discretionary spend and when demonetisation was announced, people did take a while to rearrange their priorities. But now, as Indians are familiarising themselves with alternative modes of payment, travel plans are back on radar,” said Rajeev Kale, president and country head (leisure travel),

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The industry is also hoping for a positive change in the sales and business environment, eyeing a strong economic push. “Demonetisation is expected to impact the growth of tourism sector positively. The move is expected to increase online travel booking, EMI holidays and a change in business from unorganised to organised sector of travel,” said Vishal Suri, managing director, SOTC Travel.