TIRUCHY: After Op Sindoor, tourists wary of vacation in North India, despite the semblance of normalcy post the country’s declaration of ceasefire with Pakistan, travel operators in Tamil Nadu say they are battling a wave of trip cancellations from customers who had originally planned a summer vacation in the northern states.
Others are changing their itinerary to spend their planned break in overseas destinations like Malaysia and Singapore, the operators add. G Kalidasan, a travel agent operating in Tiruchy and Madurai, said most holiday bookings are made in January.
This year, the interest has, however, plummeted, he added. “Several customers are requesting refund or shifting their plans to countries like Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia or domestic destinations like Kerala and Goa.
Unfortunately, their payments are tied up with airlines and hotels, and I’ve personally refunded approximately Rs 28 lakh to date.” “We’re expecting a decline of over 60% in holiday trips to northern states during summer,” he added.
Around 5 lakh from Tamil Nadu usually visit popular spots like Amritsar, Meghalaya, Darjeeling and Kashmir during the months of April and May, travel operators said.
Ganesh, a small operator from Karur, shared his plight: “We had planned a four-day Kashmir tour for about 15 people starting on May 22, collecting Rs 35,000 per passenger. Now, around 10 travellers are requesting refund. We assured them in writing that it would be processed within 30 days but managing the cancellations is difficult.”
Meanwhile, Ahamad Khalid, who owns a hotel in Meghalaya, said, “Most tour operators book their holiday package well in advance, and we invested in renovation and vehicle modification based on the bookings. Now with the cancellations, we’re uncertain about returning the money.”
P Venkataraman, an elderly resident in Dindigul who has scheduled a trip to Kashmir, said, “My children are worried about my scheduled trip to Kashmir with my wife. I received a written assurance from the travel agent that my money would be refunded within three months; he also asked me to consider rescheduling my vacation to next year at no extra charge. I am contemplating whether to proceed.”