Delhiites have found an answer to beat the heat. According to travel agents, number of travellers going outside country has doubled.
NEW DELHI: Delhiites have found an answer to beat the heat. According to travel agents in the Capital, the number of travellers going outside the country has doubled this year. International travel is an easy bet now that travel companies and banks have made available instalment facilities to pay for trips. Arun Khanna, head of strategic initiatives, STIC travels, says, “Now people have the option of paying as little as Rs900-1000 per month to travel abroad. The concept of installments in tourism has boosted international travel in a big way.”
Delhiites are not choosing regular destinations along the western European circuit, but they are looking at options like Turkey, Bulgaria, Hungary and Prague. Khanna says, “Almost 35 per cent of outbound travellers are looking at Mediterranean destinations this season. Out of the people travelling abroad, most of them are second or third time travellers. They want to avoid the popular and more commercial circuits.
Now the average Delhiite wants to look at a real holiday away from commercial hubs.”
Another contributing factor to this year’s spike in international travel is the special offers that airlines are doling out for the Indian traveller.
Riyaz Munshi of N Chirag says, “Although this is peak season for travelling, some airlines have chosen to extend attractive price cuts as the number of travellers has gone up this season.”
Flying to exotic destinations isn’t the only thing that fuels the imagination of the travelling Delhiite. The rush for Mediterranean cruises along Spain, Italy and France has gone up by 50 per cent this season. Munshi says, “This time cruises are high on the wish list.”
The great escape
The number of Delhiites travelling abroad has doubled this year
Almost 35 per cent of outbound travellers are looking at Mediterranean destinations
Many travellers are opting not to travel to Western Europe
Part of the travel boom has been the introduction of installment plans to pay for trips
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