People tired of the prolonged lockdown due to COVID-19 had resumed travelling with the arrival of the festive season and winter. But now, with the alarming spread of the new strain of the virus, travellers are putting their plans on hold all over again. India had put bans on flights between the UK and India from the midnight of December 22, 2020. A lot of travellers fear that many flights arrived in India from the UK even before the ban. Tourists who had made plans of travelling within the country are calling up travel companies to hold on or cancel their bookings. Read on to know more.
Around 50 Percent Travellers Have Put Their Plans On Hold
A new variant of coronavirus has started spreading at an alarming rate in the United Kingdom and many other countries like Canada, Japan, France, Spain, Sweden and even India. India has already recorded around 29 cases with the new variant. Thus, people are afraid to travel now. They are either cancelling their travel plans or putting them on hold.
According to a TOI report, Rishikesh Pujari, director of Vihar Travels has said, “State governments are imposing additional restrictions on travellers, upping surveillance in states in the backdrop of the new SARS-CoV-2 mutant, which has also been instilling fear among travellers. Prospective travellers have been calling us to keep booked tours on hold and postpone existing flight bookings. They feel that there must have been travellers from the UK to India before November 25, who would have been moving around but have not been traced yet. A lot of people have already paid the advance amount to tour companies but they are still placing the bookings on hold.” In Pujari’s words, his firm had around 68 travellers who had expected to travel to Delhi, Kerala and Karnataka in January and February. Now nearly 50 percent travellers have stalled their plans.
Also Read: India To Conduct World’s Largest COVID-19 Vaccination Drive
Tourists Are Not Preferring Long-Distance Travel
Jyoti Mayal, TAAI President, has said, “Travellers have been calling tour companies and putting travel plans to various destinations on hold for now. If the travel plan is for a future date and people have not already paid for it, then they are preferring to delay the plan.” Makrand Angal, Director of Go Holidays, has said, “People are especially not preferring long-distance air travel. We have had at least 50 percent of our total enquiries and bookings for such destinations paused or postponed.” Angal added that the new variant of SARS-CoV-2 has been the main cause for the change in plans.
Also Read: Maharashtra To Continue Lockdown Restrictions Till January 31 After Rise In COVID Cases
The virus is still spreading. Therefore, it is best to stay indoors as much as possible. If you’re stepping out, don’t forget to wear your masks and use a hand sanitizer. Also, do maintain social distancing. Meanwhile, you can attend some amazing virtual tours with Curly Tales: