Amid surge in Covid-19 cases travellers opt to postpone domestic trips: Experts
Amid the second Covid-19 wave and surge in the number of cases, domestic air travel has once again begun to face a slow down with a significant number of travellers opting to postpone their trips. Travel portals said they have witnessed a drop in bookings for the summer season. However, international bookings continue to remain unaffected for countries that have opened doors to Indians and those who are vaccinated.
EaseMyTrip said the entire industry is witnessing a 30-40% booking reduction in April (as compared to March) and around 15-20% of tickets being cancelled or rescheduled, in the wake of the second Covid-19 wave. “Most of these cancellations or reschedules are voluntary, as air transport is functional, unlike the first wave of Covid in 2020,” said Nishant Pitti, co-founder and chief executive officer, EaseMyTrip.
According to Yatra.com, the beginning of 2021 witnessed an optimistic rise in demand for travel where domestic destinations started seeing more footfall with travellers planning their leisure trips to make up for missed travel and pent up demand in 2020. However, there has been a slight increase in flight cancellations as consumers are cognisant about rising numbers in Covid-19 cases.
“Customers are now looking to book closer to the travel date and are also prioritising health and safety measures while exploring accommodation options at the destinations. Destinations at drivable distances as well as off-beat travel destinations are still a preferred choice among the travel trends which provide necessary respite from the monotony of city life,” said Sabina Chopra, co-founder and chief operating officer, corporate travel and head for industry, Yatra.com
Travel companies are, however, allowing passengers to reschedule their travel plans with no extra charges and are also offering services to ensure risk-free travel.
SOTC Travel is offering a free doctor on-call 24x7 service in partnership with Apollo Clinics to provide expert guidance and assistance for safe holiday planning. However, free cancellation with exclusive deals such as full holidays at half price and companion holidays free are also being offered.
“With many states imposing curbs, we have received a few requests from customers to reschedule their holiday plans. Travellers now look to maximise their experiences while minimising risk,” said Daniel D’souza, president and country head for leisure, SOTC Travel.
According to Thomas Cook, having missed out on their vacation time for over a year, most Indians are preferring to defer their travel plans rather than cancel despite the current scenario and restrictions being placed by state authorities
“With the increased rollout of the vaccine drive, reopening of borders/travel bubbles with countries like Nepal, Sri Lanka, Seychelles and positive announcements by international destinations welcoming vaccinated tourists, the consumer sentiment is one of cautious optimism,” said Rajeev Kale, president and country head – holidays, MICE, visa for Thomas Cook (India) Ltd.