Indians pack bags for Europe as falling Euro, Franc bring great getaway deals

The fall in foreign exchange rates for Euro, British Pound and Swiss Franc coupled with lower airfares have made outbound travel to Europe cheaper for Indian tourists. There is a suddenly a big queue at tour operators and Indian tourists are busy packing up for an unforgettable European summer holiday.

From an attractive sub-40,000 fares last seen in 2010 to immensely affordable sub-5,000 hotel rooms, the falling Euro has nearly made Europe a total value destination this year.

"Where currencies of other foreign holiday destinations like Singapore, Thailand and Australia have remained steady or even gone up, as in the case of US dollar, the Euro's depreciation vis-a-vis the Rupee has certainly made Europe an attractive destination for Indian tourists," says Vijaya Hariharan of Travel Consultants, adding that the trend is reflected in the number of first-time Europe-bound holidayers this year.

"When you get a flight to Singapore for Rs 30,000 and a typical 5-day holiday for a family of four for Rs 3 lakh, it's an obvious choice to head to Europe for the same price," says Hariharan.

Since January 1, Euro fell over 13.75% to Rs 67.07 while the Pound dropped 7.73% to Rs 92.37 as on April 9. The Swiss Franc fell around 11% from an all-time high of Rs 72 in February this year to Rs 64 at present.

Jatinder Paul Singh, senior vice president & head, sales and distribution leisure travel (outbound), Thomas Cook (India), said the fluctuating Euro has worked very well, leading to a significant surge in bookings upward 27%.

"We have been able to offer our group consumers great deals such as our "1-ka-3" offer as also our launch price of a 6-day Europe tour for Rs 59,500, thus attracting first-time, entry-level international travellers. For individual travellers, our value include free airport transfers, complimentary room upgrades, dining and free sight-seeing options," says Singh.

Europe has always been a hot favourite for Indian travellers during summer, while the UK, Switzerland, France, Italy and Germany continue to top the list. Destinations such as Spain, Scandinavia, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Vienna and are fast emerging as strong contenders.

"For the individual segment, we see increasing demand for new entrants like Greece and Flanders," says Singh.

According to industry observers, an estimated 5 lakh Mumbaikars holidayed in Europe in the summer of 2014. The number is expected to go up to 6 lakh this year.

"Germany, known for being an affordable destination among Indians, has become all the more lucrative, in terms of accommodation, entries of attractions at amusement parks, zoos, museums, city welcome cards and rail passes," says Romit Theophilus, director sales & marketing, German National Tourist Office. The fall in Euro is great news for people who can choose a destination in Europe over Far East destinations.

Karan Anand, head, relationships, Cox & Kings, said there is at least a 20% increase in travellers to Europe this summer. "The fall in Euro has led to a drop in the cost of packages for European destinations. Those who plan to travel to Europe this year will have a cheaper holiday."

To make the most of it, Air France has offered a Mumbai-Paris return fare of Rs 32,500, easily the lowest fare to Europe in the past few years. While Etihad is offering fares to leading European capitals for as less as Rs 35,000, another Europe major Turkish Airlines is offering connections to over 100 European cities for around Rs 40,000.

Switzerland continues to be another hot destination for the premium Indian tourist. "We are flooded with queries and bookings for the summer," says Toovey Abraham, CEO, Swisstours, adding that 40% bookings are from repeat travellers and special promotions have made Switzerland an even more attractive European destination this year. The alpine nation stands for beauty, efficiency and quality of service.

"We are expecting 1 lakh Mumbaikars to travel to Switzerland this year," says Ritu Sharma, deputy director, Switzerland Tourism, adding that the high-spending premium Indian travellers to Switzerland make most of the payments locally in Indian rupees and appreciate the absolute value that they get for every Franc in Switzerland.

Tour operators aver that movies have played an important role in inspiring Indians to travel to Europe. "Movies have played a key role in inspiring Indians towards Europe and will continue to do so, though today it is increasingly advertising via partnerships of tourism boards with tour operators and word-of-mouth. While families lead our growth story this year, ad hoc group of friends is also a significant segment. Middle India is turning out to be a powerhouse in terms of our Europe volumes," said Singh of Thomas Cook.