Inflation-hit Indians shying away from tourism

TROUBLED PURSES: Everything costs more, the common man has no where to run.

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Keywords: Travel, Expensive

New Delhi Its raining miseries and the common people have nowhere to run. Inflation is at an all time high and fuel seems to become dearer by ever passing day.

With the banks having upped the interest rates on lending…its tough to bear the burden anymore.

But the much-needed respite from everyday worries is not an available option.

The reason is simple. Travel and outings are simply out of reach of the common man.

The consumer is shying away from small and simple pleasures like eating out or planning a holiday.

“Whenever there is a hike, the first to be hit is travel since it is a leisure industry. If people don’t eat out then they save up to Rupees 500 per week but if you cancel a trip you could save up to Rupees two lakhs, which is a huge amount,” says the President of the Travel Agents' Association of India (TAAI), C V Prasad.

Tour operators have already considered this pressure on the consumer.

The Managing Director of Le Passage to India (LPTI) Arjun Sharma says,”We foresee a decline of 5-10% in packages going forward and we are increasing our marketing costs to reach the customers.”

According to estimates by experts, the number of travellers has gone down by a close of 4% in the last quarter as against a growth of 25% seen in the previous quarter.

So though the trouble may be short-lived or may at least have some remedy. Like Arjun Sharma offers, “There are some great deals in the online space. One should also go to big companies as they have more money to buy. They will provide you better deals.”

So do not let the inflation worries take away your wanderlust. With some smart planning and by putting a tab on your spending you go ahead and have a great vacation.