A quick chat with travel planners of the Ahmedabad revealed that Europe is the most preferred destination for many Amdavadis this summer.
A quick chat with travel planners of the city revealed that Europe is the most preferred destination for many Amdavadis this summer. Most Gujaratis are staunch vegetarians. So, why are they opting for a vacation in a land that is predominantly non-vegetarian?
The answer lies in the fact that people here are known for their moolah, their food and love for travel. So, if a Gujarati goes on vacation he creates his own Gujarat in the destination.
Travel planner Mauli Kothari says, "This time of the year people prefer to go to Europe because we have offered to send a Gujarati chef along with them." In fact, people are really not keen on going to Malaysia and Thailand because they might face some food issues there.
It is a smart pick for them to visit Europe, which is beautiful and at the same time they get good homemade food of their choice.
"Moreover, our European travel packages are not very expensive," she adds. A common sight in any luggage a Gujarati carries is food like khakra, thepla or farsaan that is stocked up no matter where they go.
The next preferred destination this summer is Dubai. "After Europe, they are opting to go to Dubai as they can get food of their choice. There are a large number of Indian restaurants to keep them satisfied," says another travel planner.
There are also combined packages of Europe and Dubai. These trips are mostly for 12-20 days that include many countries of Europe along with Dubai.
In the domestic travel segment, many people are choosing to go to Leh-Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh this season, says Riddhi Mehta from an online travel planning site.
"If people plan an international trip it happens usually in May but for Indian destinations many pick June as the ideal time. And up north is the most favoured place as they can cool off in the mountains at very cheap rates," she adds.
Keyur Joshi, COO of another online travel website says, "On the domestic front, Ladakh and Kashmir are common destinations as compared to Himachal Pradesh last year. But many Gujaratis are opting for experimental destinations like Bhutan apart from the usual Europe. One reason being the only flight for Bhutan is Druk Air that has now started from Mumbai," he says. Though people prefer long vacations in summer, they are open to 10-day holidays as well, he adds.
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