Foreign tourists travel to Mumbai to witness poll-time show

With elections around the corner, travel industry insiders claim to be witnessing 'poll tourism'. Foreign tourists and Non-Resident Indians, they say, are booking tickets to Mumbai and other important political hubs across the country to witness elections in the world's largest democracy.

The tour operators claim that many foreign travellers visiting the city on business or leisure trips are also planning to extend their sojourn by a couple of days for the same reason.

Mumbai is scheduled to go to the polls on April 24 along with parts of Vidarbha and northern Maharashtra. President of Travel Agents Association of India, Iqbal Mulla, said they have been witnessing a trend among several foreign tourists who are planning trips to Mumbai around election time. "Foreign tourists are taking out an additional day or two to witness the elections. This is apart from NRIs [non-resident Indians] who return home to support their candidates or parties to which they are affiliated.". 

Travel industry insiders said that many travel agencies are also planning 'election tourism' during this period.

Besides Mumbai, election tourism is also available for bookings made to political hotbeds across the country, like Varanasi from where Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi and chief of Aam Aadmi Party Arvind Kejriwal have filed their nominations.

Mohit Gupta, chief business officer (Holidays) of travel portal MakeMyTrip says that with two of the biggest political personalities contesting from Varanasi, the political climate in the Holy town has been hotting up. "Supporters of both parties are thronging Varanasi to support their candidates. Overall, the general elections will fuel travel demand through rail, bus and air. So, hotels and guest houses will see an increase in demand," said Gupta.

This influx of foreign tourists, many of them NRIs, is to "a unique experience of witnessing the glamour of Indian politics" is how Sharat Dhall, president of another travel portal yatra.com puts it.