MUMBAI: In what is being seen as a Covid-19-led fall in demand for travel to south-east Asia, last-minute airfares to destinations in Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia have dipped to such a degree that it is cheaper, say, to fly to Bangkok than to Bagdogra this weekend, and even the next several weekends.

The cheapest return fare on flight from Mumbai to Bangkok this week was Rs 12,300 and from Delhi Rs 13,400, which in this time window otherwise, would be almost double. In comparison, a Mumbai-Bagdogra return flight cost Rs 13,500. Ditto with other south-east Asian destinations. Singapore Airlines has already curtailed its flight operations scheduled in March, including to Mumbai and Cochin (See P 11).

Cruises to far-east hit, city tourists look West

Requesting anonymity, an industry insider said, “Most corporate MICE-—meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions—travellers have cancelled their trips scheduled for March and April. The cancellations have been coming in waves. Leisure travellers are not even considering these destinations. No one wants to be quarantined in south-east Asia.”

Pradip Lulla of Cupid Travels agency said, “There are official tourism reports which show that business from India to south-east Asia is 55% lower than last year. Airfares are ridiculously low.”

The effect goes beyond air travel to cover cruise tourism as well. “Cruises to the fareast are popular, with over 50,000 Indians cruising in those waters during summer. But with cruise companies withdrawing their ships from Singapore and other parts for the next two to three months, the fall in numbers will be sharp,” said an industry insider.

Subhash Goyal, general secretary, Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism and Hospitality, said people are avoiding south-east Asia and not just China. “Demand for Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore is down. Tourists are looking at west-bound destinations such as Dubai, Mauritius, Prague, Ukraine and those in Central Europe,” Goyal said.

Like these, India, too, might stand to gain. On Tuesday, Goyal sent a letter to the tourism secretary saying around 60 million tourists visit China every year and India should identify the source markets and aggressively advertise the country as an alternative. According to UK-based OAG, an aviation consultancy group, international seat capacity from China has shrunk by 2,70,000 seats a week, bringing the overall capacity reduction since January 20 to some 1.7 million seats—down 80%.