Outbound tourism from the State is showing signs of resurgence with people, in their eagerness for what is being referred to as revenge travel, getting ready to fly to countries in Europe, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Dubai from mid-October.
The yearning to fly out at the next-given opportunity has resulted in thousands of people, who had to cancel their trips to Europe and other destinations in 2020 due to COVID-19 curbs, opting for package and other tours in large numbers, says tour operator Joby George of Switrus Holidays.
Many countries, mainly in Europe, have lifted curbs on arrival of Indians, what with the United Kingdom moving India from the red to amber list.
“Interestingly, people are keen to travel abroad despite the marginal hike in airfares and the 5% tax collected at source (TCS) for outbound travel from October 2020. Europe (where demand peaks in April-September during the summer-spring season) and the Maldives are the preferred destinations for travellers from Kerala. Still, lack of direct flights from Kerala to European countries — barring to the U.K. — is a major constraint for both outbound and inbound tourism,” says Mr. George.
“An average of 1,600 Keralites travel to European countries every day. This calls for a daily direct flight from the State to the U.K., in place of the three per week now, and to many other destinations. This will in turn bring in high-spending inbound tourists from those countries to Kerala. The situation is such that most European tourists who arrive in direct flights to Chennai, Bengaluru, Delhi, and other metros skip Kerala. The State only gets the spillover revenue from those who come, while the States which have direct flights get GST revenue on that account. There is also the risk of people preferring to visit Sri Lanka, which is similar to Kerala,” he says.
Travel insurance
The pandemic and awareness about the prohibitive treatment cost in Europe and the U.S. have in the meantime resulted in most travellers opting for travel insurance packages. “There are numerous insurance schemes, including a ₹1,000 premium which provides coverage for 14 components, including for loss of baggage. It is mandatory for travel to Europe,” says Rithin Roy, Kochi branch head of an outbound travel insurance firm.
