Visa exemption and the enduring lure of popular year-end holiday destinations have more than doubled the airfares to southeast Asia from Calcutta during the Christmas-New Year holiday season, tourists and travel agents said.
Thailand and Malaysia have announced visa exemptions for Indians, which is attracting more tourists than usual. Tour operators said they had not seen such a rush for the southeast Asian destinations even before the Covid pandemic.
Some of those who have made bookings for Phuket in Thailand said they had to pay up to Rs 70,000 for a return trip, which normally costs around Rs 30,000.
The Prime Minister of Thailand recently announced that travellers from India and Taiwan would enjoy a visa-free entry to Thailand from November 10 to May 10.
Thai tourism officials said the visa-free stay could stretch 30 days.
Malaysia, too, has announced that visitors from India and China are entitled to a 30-day visa-free stay in his country.
The facility will be available from December 1 till December 31 next year, said tour operators in Calcutta.
Officials of some airlines said the demand for travel to southeast Asia, especially destinations in Thailand, is very high.
“The flights closer to Christmas and New Year’s Eve are almost full. Seats on Calcutta-Bangkok flights are selling for nearly Rs 30,000 (return fare). The usually rate is Rs 20,000 or even less,” said a SpiceJet official. “The fare will go up further.”
City-based businessman J.P. Roy is going to Thailand with his wife, son, daughter-in-law and grandson on December 22 and returning on January 2.
“The main reasons for visiting Thailand this time are visa exemption and the conducive weather there during this time of the year. But the airfare is very high,” Roy said on Wednesday.
The family of five had to pay Rs 62,000 for each person for the Calcutta-Phuket return trip, via Bangkok.
Tarun Bhattacharya, who works in healthcare and education sectors, has paid
Rs 70,000 for a Calcutta-Phuket return ticket (via Singapore). “I had been to Thailand before, but this will be my first visit to Phuket,” said Bhattacharya, who is part of a seven-member group of two families.
The demand for tickets to Malaysia is also high, with the Calcutta-Kuala Lumpur return fare reaching Rs 45,000 on some days in December. The return fare on the route is usually around Rs 25,000.
“We did not see such demand even before the pandemic. Because of the visa exemption, people are going to Thailand and Malaysia in great numbers,” said Anil Punjabi, national committee member of the Travel Agents Federation of India, representing the eastern region.
“Many tourists had been travelling within India after the pandemic. Now they are eying international destinations and visa exemptions are making southeast Asian countries more attractive compared to others,” said Raktim Roy, managing partner of Dolphin Travels.
