Last year the India International Travel Mart was flooded with avid travellers from the city, leaving the stall-owners with no time to breathe. However, that was not the case this year, despite the exhibition being held over the weekend. Complained Binny Thomas, regional manager, marketing, makemytrip.com, “We have been putting up a stall at Travel Mart for over four years now and usually there are a lot of travellers that try and stop by here. But, this year, somehow the response has been very dull. Even Sunday, which is usually when we expect more people to come in, was pretty much like every other day.”
Despite the lull, some Hyderabadis were busy planning their trip for the upcoming months. Ask Thomas about the preferred cities or countries, and he shared, “Hyderabadis love to travel and most of them are now-a-days going for the Malaysia and Thailand trip when they want to travel internationally.” He explained that most people prefer Malaysia and Thailand because it involves the least amount of paper-work and is also light on their wallet. Furthermore, for first-time international travellers, these places are more ideal, he added. Another reason to choose these South-east Asian countries over Europe is that these places can be visited at any time during the year, unlike Europe. “Most travellers visit Europe during summers. But, Malaysia and Thailand can be visited anytime and the trip can be completed within four to five days also, making it convenient for people who have little time on hand,” explained Thomas.
And, when it comes to visiting our own country, according to Naveen Kumar T, assistant manager at a city-based travel agency, Hyderabadis prefer cities like Leh, Ladakh, Kashmir, Rajasthan and Kerala. “Hyderabadis prefer to go up north the country and visit such places. The only exception for down south would be Kerala, because of the natural aesthetic,” said Naveen.
Agreeing with him was an avid traveller herself, who was trying to plan a trip to Kashmir at the Travel Mart. Shared Mabelle, a software engineer, who loves to travel, “I was looking at Europe tour for an international travel, and in India, I have always wanted to go to Kashmir. Hopefully, this or next year I should be able to make it.” The three-day India International Travel Mart at People’s Plaza concluded in the city on Sunday.