The festive season is kickstarting in India with a long holiday season ahead. With so many grand festivals to be celebrated all around the country (and the world) and the peak winter travel time, the last few months and beginning months of the year are simply the most phenomenal travel season for India and Indians. Unfortunately, it looks like the numbers reported every year are going to be a lot different this year. But why?
How Is The Holiday Season Affected By The Israel-Hamas War?
This is one of the perfect times for Indian travel destinations to welcome domestic travellers and foreign visitors. However, the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas is going to impact the major influx of tourists from some places. This is the time when a lot of travellers from Israel travel to India for exploring and recreational purposes. With the cancellation of flights and the ongoing tension, all this travel seems next to impossible.
In a conversation with Moneycontrol, Rajiv Mehra, the Indian Association of Tour Operators President, shared how the war is impacting the inbound travellers’ visit to India from Israel. He talked about how young visitors travel mostly to Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. With everything currently happening in Israel, all these plans are being affected. The expected business and numbers from these young visitors are also getting disrupted. Not just travel influx in India, but Israel’s tourism is raising concerns for travel and hospitality industry.
Indian Tourism Sees Some Consecutive Drastic Changes
It has been quite some time since pandemic-related travel restrictions were lifted and we got to explore our country without COVID-19-related restrictions. It was a devastating blow for the entire world’s tourism wings. The recovery process took a lot of effort to bring numbers close to the pre-pandemic times. Just when India began making a significant recovery from those harsh times, something else struck that growth.
First, the diplomatic tension between India and Canada had an impact on tourism. The change in travel plans, some cancellations, and primarily the suspension of visa services for Canadian nationals affected some parts of Indian tourism. After the COVID-19 pandemic and the political tensions between these countries, the war between Israel and Hamas is affecting tourism during this peak holiday season.
What will the numbers ultimately look like, only time will tell. But currently, we can see a dip in influx of tourists, international ones. Will domestic travellers make up the shortfall? Let’s hope.
Also read: Amid Israel-Hamas War, Air India Announces Waiver For Tel Aviv Flights For Certain Dates
Do you have plans for the peak holiday season?
Cover Image Courtesy: Canva
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