Along with tour packages for domestic destinations, several international tour packages by Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) are also getting a huge response. Among all others, Vietnam and Egypt tours are topping the charts.
This year, the most popular foreign tour packages are Bali, Egypt, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Nepal, Bhutan, and Cambodia. The 10–day Egypt trip would cost around Rs 1.8 lakhs per person, while the nine-day Vietnam tour would cost Rs 1.50 lakh per person. “This covers everything. Starting from air tickets, hotel accommodation and food,” said Dipankar Manna, an official of IRCTC, Kolkata.
On the other hand, six-day packages to Singapore and Malaysia would cost Rs 1.04 lakh, Dubai Rs 85,000 and Thailand Rs 49,000, all per person.
Anup Singha, a Salt Lake-based businessman, and his wife Bhaswati have booked a trip to Egypt on October 30 from Kolkata. “My husband is associated with the Durga Puja of our block, so we cannot even think of leaving Kolkata before Dashami. A week after Puja, we are leaving for Egypt for a week. We have been planning and saving for this trip for some years now and we would have gone in 2020 if the pandemic wouldn’t hit. We are going to Cairo, Hurghada and a river cruise on the Nile,” said Bhaswati.
Talking about the reasons for this sudden demand for Egypt and Vietnam, IRCTC said that from a very early age, Bengalis get interested about the mystic Egyptian culture and history. “The stories of pyramids and mummies are everywhere in Bengali literature. So after the lockdown when the economy is stable and people have started going out regularly, they are choosing Egypt,” Manna added.
On the other hand, Vietnam has become extremely popular because of the development of the country’s tourism infrastructure. “The country is tourist-friendly and less expensive. There are great hotels and good food. Finally, Vietnam provides a diverse landscape. There are mountains and there are great sea beaches. The cheap airfare has also helped to make the country very popular,” said Manna.
Mohan Singh Dhawan, a Bhawanipore-based car parts dealer, said he was going on a trip to Vietnam with his family of four in November. “Since the shops are anyway closed, we wanted to go during the Pujas. But November is much cooler and soothing. We would mostly see the big cities in Vietnam for a week,” Dhawan added.
