Thanks to revenge tourism, the travel industry, after the pandemic, has seen unprecedented growth.
According to Kolkata-based travel agents, people are travelling and there is steady demand.
Vicky Shaw, senior officer of city-based CITIUS Holidays, said, “People from Kolkata are travelling to Thailand, Malaysia and Dubai. Since November, we have been receiving a number of calls for Europe tours. This is great news for the travel industry.
“Kerala, Kashmir, Goa, the north east and Rajasthan are top picks for domestic travellers. “Till now, there is high demand. If things get worse, we will be back to square one,” Vicky added.
No takers for staycation, workations
While the demand for tourism is on the rise, there is a downward trend for staycations and workations. During the pandemic, a large chunk of tourists opted for staycations and workations and thus saved the tourism industry from collapsing.
“There are no takers for staycations as schools, colleges and offices have opened and the option of working from home is over. This has added to our woes,” said Sumit Agarwal, owner of India Tour Pan, a city-based travel agency.
Industry has learnt its lesson
According to Veena Patil, managing director, Veena World, “After the second lockdown, people travelled in small groups to avoid infection. If we face a similar situation, people would do the same. Travelling won’t stop but will increase on the contrary,” she added.
Chantin Chhetri, manager of Hotel Rope in Darjeeling, said even if restrictions are imposed, they would be lifted in a few weeks. “During the first wave, people were scared. Now, they have ‘learnt’ to live with it. People are aware of the safety protocols. I hope things won’t be as bad as they were,” she added.
