Ahmedabad: Gujaratis are known for their love of travel and, barring safety concerns, little seems to hold them back from embarking on summer holidays. With tensions in the West Asia region easing somewhat and airlines operating on Gulf routes gradually restoring services, many travelers have once again resumed planning international vacations.Travel operators across Gujarat said domestic leisure travel stayed strong through the summer, while demand for overseas holidays is now gradually regaining momentum.According to industry stakeholders, inquiries for vacation bookings have climbed steadily over the past 10 days, with growing interest in destinations across Europe as well as Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.“The affluent class in Gujarat has a deep passion for travel and summer vacations are almost non-negotiable for them. Even high airfares rarely disrupt their plans,” said Manish Sharma, an Ahmedabad-based travel expert. “With West Asia tensions easing recently, we are again witnessing strong demand for Europe travel in June and July. While India enters monsoon during this period, Europe offers extremely pleasant weather. The classic Western Europe circuit — Switzerland, France, the UK and Italy — continues to be a top choice.”He added that travelers already holding valid visas are advancing their travel plans to May departures, while those awaiting Schengen approvals are aiming for trips in June and July.Besides Europe, Far East destinations such as Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam are also seeing healthy traction among tourists seeking shorter-duration international holidays.Although overall summer travel bookings from Gujarat are estimated to have dropped by nearly 30%, according to senior members of the Travel Agents’ Federation of India (TAFI) Gujarat chapter, the recent surge in inquiries has renewed optimism in the sector.However, travelers planning holidays in the coming weeks may need to prepare for substantially higher expenses, as both airfares and hotel prices have risen sharply.Flights to destinations like London and Paris are now estimated to be about 50% costlier than last year, while fares to Sydney have increased by roughly 40%.Even typically budget-friendly Southeast Asian destinations such as Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia and Sri Lanka are witnessing airfare hikes exceeding 40%.Travel operators said these rising costs are gradually influencing traveler behaviour. Instead of canceling plans altogether, many are opting for shorter trips and choosing closer international destinations instead of long-haul journeys to Europe or Australia.“The desire to travel remains intact, but people are becoming more budget-conscious,” said Ankit Bajaj, an Ahmedabad-based travel operator. “Since Schengen visa dates are currently available without much difficulty, there is an overall positive sentiment among travelers. Due to higher airfares, hotel tariffs, and transportation costs, the overall spending per trip has increased by 20-25%. Travelers who previously planned 10- to 12-day Europe holidays are now considering five- to seven-day trips to Southeast Asia instead.“Domestic tourism, meanwhile, continues to witness strong demand, especially for hill stations and cooler destinations as temperatures rise across Gujarat. “Destinations such as Himachal Pradesh, Kashmir, Uttarakhand and parts of the Northeast have emerged as favorite summer getaways. Even within Gujarat, Gir remains fully booked on weekends. Udaipur, Kumbhalgarh, Polo Forest and the Statue of Unity are also seeing good traction,” Bajaj said.Travel agents noted that the rush to hill destinations has also pushed accommodation prices considerably higher. Hotels and resorts in premium leisure locations are experiencing heavy occupancy levels, reducing inventories for last-minute bookings and driving up room tariffs significantly.“I had booked my tickets in December-end for a trip to France and the roundtrip fare cost me around Rs 70,000. Airfares had already risen sharply compared to when I first checked prices and had I waited longer, it would have been even higher.” — Tanu Sharma, Design Student“ Flights to Goa were shockingly expensive. Fares started at nearly Rs 6,000 and went up to Rs 8,000, even for flights with layovers of two to five hours.” —Riyaa Vinod, Law Student“I am planning to travel to Mumbai in June and fares are definitely higher than usual. Tickets that I normally book for around Rs 2,500 are now costing between Rs 3,000 and Rs 4,000.” — Lavina Motiani, Commerce Student
