Travel News : Exploring uncharted terrains of tourism

By: The Hindu
Source: http://www.thehindu.com
Category: Travel News
Posted By: www.gilttravels.com

Tourism News

If you are looking for something different from the regular holiday destinations or are searching for something more than the ‘best deals' promised by online travel forums, the Travel and Tourism Fair that opened here on Friday might just be the right place to give shape to your next holiday plan.

Showcasing an array of travel deals in five countries and 20 Indian States, the fair seeks to provide a forum for interaction among hotel owners, travel agents, tour planners and tourists.

Among the States participating in the three day fair are Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Kerala, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Goa, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu & Kashmir.

Travel destinations in China and Hong Kong are also on display. Spiritual tourism, tour packages to religious places and adventure tourism seem to be the favourite among visitors. Places of religious importance in Nepal and Sri Lanka have been detailed, apart from many well-known places of worship in India. “We get the third highest number of tourists from Tamil Nadu, next only to Bengali and Gujarati tourists. All places in Kashmir are absolutely safe. Amarnath is fast becoming a favourite destination among tourists here,” said Ravinder Kaw of Jammu and Kashmir Government Tourist Office.

“The spell of economic uncertainty that many countries are undergoing might actually be good news for the domestic tourists as many locations have come within their reach and the prices are getting flattened,” said Sanjiv Agarwal, chairman, Fairfest Media Ltd, organisers of the fair. “Every year, we send nearly 10 million tourists from India to other countries but we get only 5 million foreign tourists. We need to identify the tourist potential in our neighbours, including Thailand, China and other Asian countries, besides targeting only western tourists,” he added.

Food festivals and cultural programmes organised by Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat also add shades of glamour and colour to the fair. Travel magazines and travel portals are also participating in the fair. “This is the best time to start planning for summer. The earlier you book, the better prices you get,” said Mr. Agarwal. Also, the fact that the fair has no middle men here increases the credibility of the bookings and the visitor has more options to choose from, he added.

The fair, at Chennai Trade Centre, Nandambakkam, is open till Sunday from 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. Entry is free.

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/article2782727.ece?homepage=true