| |
| |
Prince Mathews Thomas
MUMBAI
THOUGH the Indian cricket
team's win in the first Test against South Africa last week brought a sigh of
relief, the travel industry would be hoping for a complete turnaround if
it has to regain its own form. And that is because, tour packages for the World
Cup to be held in West Indies from March 2007, have evoked a lukewarm response
till now, and any chance of recovery might depend on Dravid and his boys.
"Enquiries increased after the Test win as everybody wants to go to
the World Cup. But as soon as they listen about the prices, it's a complete silence,"
says Harpreet Singh Sahni, CEO of Pyramid Travels, one of the five official travel
agents in India for the ICC World Cup. According to industry estimates, only one
of every five travellers to South Africa, would go to the West Indies.
And that it is where a team-in-form might get more people to shell out a minimum
of Rs 3 lakh per person for a seven-day package, which includes two matches. The
cost can increase to as much as Rs 9 lakh per person, if one wants to see more
matches. "In the last edition that was held in South Africa, as the Indian
team progressed to the finals, the demand for packages went so high that extra
flights had to be arranged. But in its present form, we are not sure if the Indian
team will even qualify for the second round," says a tour operator. A Rs
1.5-lakh package to South Africa was spread over 15 days and covered seven matches.
But the high price may not be the only deterrent. "It doesn't help
that it takes almost 28 hours to reach West Indies, via the UK or the US. There
is also a perception among Indians that the general quality of the stay, owing
to the poor infrastructure (like less rooms), may not be very pleasant in the
Caribbean," said Javed Akkhtar, CEO, TravelPort. The company has been sub-contracted
to sell packages but has sold only half of the expected number till now.
Sources added that some of the big names in the business like Cox&Kings
and Thomas Cook are not looking at the World Cup "aggressively." Lack
of rooms, high expense and the need to book two months in advance has made the
World Cup "a risky proposition. Because in case of pull outs (depending on
the Indian team's performance), one could lose money. Nevertheless, the World
Cup has evoked interest from corporate clients and high net individuals. "Indians
have the habit of travelling at the last moment. We expert numbers to increase
in January and February," says Mr Akkhtar. "Logistics have been simplified
as a traveller will need only one visa to visit all the islands," adds Mr
Sahni. And hopefully, the Indian team will discover its winning ways. |
Source : The Economic Times, Chennai
|
| |
|
