BHUBANESWAR: Amid reduced flight operations and soaring airfares caused by the ongoing US-Iran-Israel conflict, Odisha tourism has started to feel the pinch with a decline in both outbound and inbound tourists.
Leading tour operators say leisure travel, especially during summers, has been affected because of the West Asia crisis. While international tourists inflow might get hit by flight suspension, escalation in cost of tour packages and airfares is impacting domestic tourism.
Benjamin Simon, one the state’s most experienced travel consultants says the closure of direct flight to Dubai has badly impacted both outbound and inbound travel. “In the last eight to 10 years, Odisha witnessed a rapid increase in leisure travel to international destinations like Dubai, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Honk Kong, Thailand and even European countries, especially during summers,” said Simon.
On an average, about 5,000 people travelled from the state to international destinations during summers, he said. While tourists from countries like US, Italy and Spain visited Odisha via Dubai during Rath Yatra festival, the suspension of the flight on the route may hurt the tourism sector, he added.
Ever since the direct flight from Bhubaneswar to Dubai was introduced, it mostly remained fully packed. Not just the tourists from foreign countries, those working in Dubai chose Odisha over Maldives and Thailand, Simon said.
Chairman of Indian Association of Tour Operators’, Odisha Gagan Sarangi said the economic impact of escalating tension in West Asia has led to an increase in prices of domestic travel packages too.
He pointed out that flight cancellations and rumours on social media have also created a sense of uncertainty among the travellers from the state who head to Jammu and Kashmir, Dehradun, Darjeeling or to Northeast regions to escape from the heat and humidity here during the summer.
Director of Patra Travels Pvt Limited Harihar Patra said his firm used to receive about 500 to 1,000 enquiries for travel plans to Bhubaneswar, Puri, Konark, Gopalpur, Satkosia, Bhitarkanika, Daringbadi and others during May. “Most of the inquiries were mostly from West Bengal and other states. However, that number has significantly dropped this time,” he added.
If the US-Israel-China war continues for few more weeks, the fuel crisis may worsen significantly and the travel industry will need to re-figure the plans in all segments for the year, said the tour operator.