Sliding rupee erodes value of foreign holiday

Leisure travellers hit hard as the sliding rupee leaves them in a tizzy

T P Venu

City- based leisure travellers have been left high and dry as the sliding rupee has dented their plans for a holiday abroad. Some have cut short the length of their vacation, while others have eliminated planned stops on their itinerary; still others have since switched to budget hotels. In some cases, families have cancelled their trips altogether and are planning a vacation within the country.

Raju of Passion Holidays, Lakdi-Ka-Pul, says, “As far as corporate clients are concerned, there is not much of a difference. The business traveller will continue to travel. It is the people from smaller towns who would postpone their travel plans. The leisure traveller will definitely think twice. Three months back the ticket to Canada cost Rs 76,000, today it is Rs 98,900.”

The hardest hit are travel agents who provide package tours. Murugan, an executive says, “Once the package tours are booked increase in the price of bills are to be borne by the travel agents.” The season peaks in October and we start getting queries, but this year there is a lull. The US-bound travelers, especially students, have to cough up more than Rs 10-17 K, depending on the airline and the class they wish to travel in.

Last year, 14.92 million Indians travelled abroad. Bookings have reduced considerably. Travel industry experts feel that this year we may not match the growth of 6.7% that was recorded in 2012 over 2011.

The fall in the rupee has many look towards countries in the Far-East, instead of those in Europe. People start booking now for vacation in October and December. This year the trend is not towards Europe, but to nearby countries. Many have also dropped plans of going abroad and are looking at destinations within the country. For instance, Surekha, a resident of Ishaq Colony, says, “Initially we had planned a holiday abroad, but now we are planning to go to Chail in Himachal Pradesh.”

“We have to think twice before going to the US. My younger son is studying there and I need to book my ticket well in advance so that I get a good price. Just three months back the ticket was Rs 80 K. The government is to be blamed for the mess we are in.” -Sangeeta Dhawan

I had to hike my budget by 20%. My son is going abroad to study and the ticket cost has shot up greatly. I was expecting the rupee to touch Rs 60 and remain there, but to my dismay it kept going up. There should be some regulation. - Kanchana Kumar

The corporate travelers are still travelling. The sliding rupee has hit the leisure travelers. Travel agents who provide package tours are affected as they have to bear the additional costs. The fuel bills are paid in US dollars. -Ravi Shankar, Sales and Marketing Manager, SilkAir, Hyderabad