• A return ticket from Calcutta to London: ₹80,000
• A return ticket to Singapore: ₹80,000

This summer, those two numbers tell the story of how travel preferences are shifting among Calcuttans.

Detours triggered by the war in the Gulf, fears of sudden cancellations and memories of passengers stranded abroad during earlier disruptions have made many travellers wary of heading West. Instead, demand for destinations in Southeast Asia has surged, travel agents and airlines said.

Europe, usually among the favourite summer destinations for many families from the city, has slipped behind Southeast Asia this season. Despite fewer flights and longer routes, airfares to Europe and the US have not gone up.

On Tuesday afternoon, the return fare from Calcutta to Singapore for travel on May 21 was around ₹80,000. Tour operators said the fare usually hovers around ₹40,000 if booked a day before departure and used to be even lower during earlier summers.

A return fare to Bangkok for the same date was around ₹70,000. Travel agents said the usual fare for such a booking would be closer to ₹30,000.

In contrast, the return fare to London on the same date was also around ₹80,000. A return trip to New York stood at around ₹1.45 lakh.

Dubai, another popular destination for travellers from Calcutta, showed a return fare of around ₹48,000 for May 21 travel. Agents said that was lower than what such last-minute bookings usually cost.

Travel operators said the pattern reflected anxiety around travel to Europe and the US.

“There is fear among families planning holidays that they may get stranded if they travel to Europe or the US,” said Anil Punjabi, chairman of the eastern region of the Travel Agents Federation of India.

“Many airlines are abruptly cancelling flights because of the geopolitical situation in the Gulf region. Also, flight durations on several popular routes have increased because airlines are being forced to take alternative paths,” he said.

Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam and Indonesia are among the destinations witnessing the highest demand this season, he said.

Farid Alam, a 30-year-old businessman from the city, is travelling to Thailand for 10 days with his family at the end of May. “Our two daughters have their summer vacation now. Every year we choose a destination for a family holiday. This time we preferred Southeast Asia because of the geopolitical problems in the West,” Alam said.

Flights cut

Airlines are grappling with rising operational costs.

Several carriers have cut international services because of soaring fuel prices and the longer flying times caused by airspace restrictions linked to the war.

Air India recently announced rationalisation of some international routes between June and August.

“The adjustments have been made in response to a combination of factors, including continued airspace restrictions over certain regions and record high jet fuel prices for international operations,” the airline said in a statement.

The airline said the changes were aimed at improving network stability and reducing last-minute inconvenience to passengers.

Air India has temporarily suspended routes such as Delhi-Chicago and reduced frequencies on routes including Delhi-San Francisco, Delhi-Toronto, Mumbai-Newark, Delhi-Paris, Delhi-Milan, Delhi-Zurich and Delhi-Melbourne.

Flights between Delhi and Shanghai have also been temporarily suspended through August. Services to Singapore from Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai have been reduced as well.

Following the US-Israeli attack on Iran on February 28, airfares from Europe and the US to India had risen sharply and many passengers were stranded after large-scale cancellations.

“The memories are still fresh in people’s minds,” said Anjani Dhanuka, chairman of the eastern region of the Travel Agents Association of India. “So this time, many people are avoiding Europe and the US.”