Foreign Shores Beckon

It’s the holiday season and most travellers have packed their bags to head to Europe, US, or UK; at least that’s where folks from Delhi and Mumbai are headed. In Bangalore, thanks to the runway which is under repair, travel agents' bookings are down by 50 percent.

On average, people spend around Rs 1.5 lakh per head for a foreign tour or Rs 25,000 per head for a South East Asian or domestic tour. Popular destinations during the summer in India are hill stations like Manali, Ooty, etc. Jammu & Kashmir has seen a spurt in domestic demand too. Prices are up by 20 percent this year thanks to the increase in the dollar rate. Apart from that, the increase in service tax is also expected to put a dampener on this holiday season.