The Hindu Business Line : Holiday, when the going is still good

Holidays are not quite what they used to be. Remember the time when the best holiday in the world was in your grandmother's house? When you ran wild, bathed in the river, ate all the mangoes you could, got stung by the bees, and fought with the village boys? Basically the world was smaller and we were snug in our little worlds.

Things have changed drastically over the past few years. The middle class Indian has money to spare, has the will to travel and his grandmother's house in the village has long fallen prey to the real estate developer. But summer in the cities is hell and you need no astrologer to predict that there will be no water, frequent power cuts and, above all, the mind sapping heat. So depending on the money and the time a family can spare, holiday plans for the average city-dweller range from a week to a month, with the majority planning to get away during the peak heat in May.

"Unlike the old days, when you could drive off on a holiday, staying at the various Tourist Bungalows (TBs) en route and generally take things as they come, even domestic holidays call for a lot of planning," says Sunithi Gandhi a lecturer in a Chennai college. "For the non-adventurous, planning will help you avoid unnecessary delays and glitches."

"Travel options in India have grown over the years both for package tours and for the free individual traveller (FIT)," says Ashok John, a Chennai-based businessman. On the domestic circuit the traveller gets a range of choices from adventure holidays and eco trails to heritage and pilgrimage tours. All state governments have their web sites and once you access them you get a fairly good idea on what to expect. Most State Governments promote package tours covering few to several destinations. .

For the upper end of the market, the Taj Group of Hotels has come out with its summer packages both for its hotels in India and aboard. For instance, in Goa, one can choose between any of the four Taj resorts situated on the golden sands of the famous Calangute beach. These resorts offer in-house yoga sessions, swimming classes, netball and beach volleyball, with a 25 per discount on water sports, steam, sauna and Jacuzzi. There is also a complementary use of the health club and host of activities for kids such as drawing and craft classes and treks to the lighthouse. Prices range from Rs.13, 000 onwards for three nights for two.

The importance given to the Indian traveller by the hospitality majors is evident. Sanjay Sharma, Regional Director, Sales and Marketing, Le Meriden puts it thus, "Most Indian hotels cater to the foreigners and are not bothered about the global perspective. For instance, the cuisine in all these hotels is pretty standard. The dal makkani and the cheese and tomato sandwiches in restaurants seem to be an all time favourite. But Indians travelling to other Indian cities feel the need for change." He added that last October, Le Meridien set the trend of offering packages to Indian clients at its properties, taking special care to provide an exceptional international cuisine, he said.

On the international circuits, one's affiliations and associations come into play. Indians, while venturing into foreign countries, have always displayed this need to move in packs. In addition to the feeling of safety, some of these package tours also offer Indian vegetarian food, which is seen as a major advantage.

Over the last few years more and more Indians are travelling in groups comprising of Rotarians, Lions, teachers, alumni associations, church groups, doctors, lawyers and so on has grown over the past few years. Take for instance the case of the group of Free Masons from Chennai who had to defer their plans to visit places of Masonic interest in West Asia. This would have been a voyage of discovery for them. One of them said that the uncertainty in West Asia has stalled their plan to visit this part of the world for the time being. But his group is planning a `Mason's trail', which would lead them through some ancient and mystic sites through Egypt and if peace prevails through the West bank region. Further trips will be planned following the footsteps of the Masons of yore. And this will lead them to Europe and back to India.

Another emerging area on the travel front is that of racing enthusiasts. This is evident by the growing numbers to Sepang in Malaysia. Talking of Malaysia, `Showcase Malaysia', a tourism initiative, was a major success. Trade sources said that there are no hotel rooms to be had anywhere in Malaysia. If your tickets are confirmed and the airline can confirm your hotel booking too, this would a great time to visit Kuala Lumpur.

As far as bargains go, most airlines have withdrawn their special low fares. And with corporate travel picking up, air fares are back at the original levels. This is because a number of airlines have either rationalised their frequencies into India or have withdrawn their services totally. Industry sources say that it would be best if the bookings are made in advance to avoid problems such as denied boarding.

With a lack of capacity and hike in airfares, those who are outward bound but who have not yet booked their seats will that it is going to cost just that bit more. In the case of tour companies' rates, the fine print clearly states that any increase in airfares will have to be borne by the customer. Travel consultants say that the tour operators might be able to offer better deals as they have already negotiated deals with airlines. Any one of the recognised tour operators should be able to do the trick.

Read the fine print and if it fits in with what you want from a holiday and suits your pockets, sign up. For instance, in the case of one tour company, passengers boarding from Kolkata will stay one additional night in Amsterdam and will be required to pay an additional amount of around Rs10,000 plus $ 60 per adult and child. Passengers boarding from Chennai will stay one day in Kuala Lumpur at a hotel and will be required to pay an additional Rs 3,000 plus $ 50 per adult and child. These rates vary marginally from company to company.

Another interesting point that first timers must remember is that on tours to Europe, including the UK, one must be in possession of a single entry UK visa, double entry Swiss visa and multiple entry Schengenstatin visa which is valid for travel in Belgium, Holland, Germany, Italy and France. The cost of these visas, amounting to Rs 7,000 (per adult/child) is not included in the tour price. This cost includes documentation, processing and consulate fess but not courier charges. For most tours it is advisable to be in possession of a UK visa for which a personal interview is required. It is mandatory to first obtain the UK visa prior to obtaining the Swiss/Schengenstatin visa. A number of tour agents, however, insist that one should arrange for the Swiss and Schengenstatin visas through them.

This summer, brochure tour companies like SOTC, Raj Travels and Thomas Cook have come out with a series of hard hitting advertisements, all based on prices of the tours. The prices on these tours look attractive. Established travel companies also organise tour packages customised for different needs. There are chances of the prices being cheaper than the brochure tours. In the case of the brochure tours, the tour price includes the cost of your round trip, economy class airfare for the duration of the tour, hotel accommodation, meals, coach tours, transfers, entrance fees, sightseeing and surface transportation as mentioned in the itinerary.

Package tours are just the thing for first time travellers, but be warned that this can be frustrating because you'll be made to rush through probably a hundred sights and might not actually see (italics) anything at the end of the whirlwind tour.

Some of the must see sights in Europe, for first time travellers are Mount Titlis in Switzerland which has the only revolving cable car in Europe; Drubba in the Black Forest which is famous for its popular Black Forest Clock Centre and of course the Jungfraubahnen. A sample price of a SOTC Grand Tour of Europe for 14 days for an adult on twin sharing basis is $ 1,599

Most travel agencies have also tied up with finance companies that will finance your travel based on your income certificate. These finance schemes work very much the same way as the regular hire purchase schemes and are readily available. These holiday finance schemes are available for Indian residents between the ages of 21 to 58, with an annual income of over Rs one lakh (though the cut off might vary from company to company) residing within the limits of certain metros. Finance is available against income documents, shares and bank guarantees.

Travel insurance is another important factor, which most travel companies insist their passengers take. Most insurance companies will pay for expenses incurred outside India and if the expenses are necessarily incurred as a result of bodily injury or sickness whilst on a trip and during the period of insurance. The other areas covered are emergency medical repatriation, repatriation of mortal remains and emergency medical assistance; all of course subject to conditions. Insurance companies also cover loss of baggage or delay of checked-in baggage and loss of passports.

Travel inconvenience is another aspect of travel, which insurance companies pay for. But remember that the companies will pay if your scheduled flight departure time is delayed by 12 hours or whilst you are in a country overseas and the cause of delay is due to inclement weather, equipment failure or a strike or other job action by the employees of the airlines. A word of caution here: no insurance company will pay up if you miss your connections or are stranded because the carrier has filed for bankruptcy under Chapter 11.

Some of the hot destinations this year for the Indian FIT are South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. The irony of this is that at this point when interest in Australia has picked up, Qantas, the Australian national carrier, has withdrawn its services from India. The interest in New Zealand has grown afresh with a crop of Hindi movies moving in there for outdoor shoots. This long haul destination with its breathtaking fjords, lakes and inlets, is being talked about in cocktail circuits. The return fare on a sample routing from Chennai to Auckland via Singapore, Sydney and Christchurch, would be around Rs 44,500. If one adds Wellington it would be Rs 49, 000.

So, if you have around a lakh or two to spare, don't put it in the bank — just pack your bags and go on a holiday.

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