Pune travellers cautious as Covid cases rise, some postpone trips
P
une: Travellers are exercising caution with plans to destinations like Singapore, Bangkok and Hong Kong, fearing flight cancellations and quarantine rules amid Covid cases.
However, most booked travellers are proceeding with their trips, with travel firms reporting no major cancellations.
Ruchika Santosh, a working professional from Koregaon Park, has put her Singapore trip plans on hold with her husband following the recent surge in Covid cases. "Covid has become quite common now, but it still poses risks like flight cancellations or quarantine. Since we haven't booked tickets yet, we've decided to postpone the trip for now," she said.
Despite the Covid surge, Kalyaninagar resident Sanjiv Thongar has decided to go ahead with his four-day Bangkok trip, having already booked flights and hotel. "It's time we stop panicking about Covid," Thongar said. "Experts say it will become like a common cold or flu. The travel firm has only asked me to carry my vaccination certificate and take precautions," he said.
Pune airport director Santosh Dhoke told TOI that he had received no information about screening passengers arriving on international flights till Tuesday.
"We haven't received any information or instructions from authorities, including the health ministry, regarding screening passengers on international flights," he said.
Santosh Gupta, owner of Shree Vinayak Holidays, said some people were getting scared and cancelling trips, while others were still going "The real impact will be clear in a few days, but for now, it's a mixed response," he said.
Makrand Angal, owner of Go Holidays in Pune, said he hasn't seen any cancellations yet, but has received many queries.
"We're advising travelers to carry vaccination certificates and take precautions," he said.
Sarthak Agarwal, a Sinhagad Road-based businessman who frequently visits Singapore, has postponed his next-month trip due to Covid concerns. "I'm not scared of Covid itself, but the quarantine rules and potential flight disruptions could cost me a lot," he said.
A travel firm representative said the Covid surge was hurting business, following a tough summer season due to the Indo-Pak tensions. "We've lost out on summer travel, and now Covid cases in Maharashtra will impact bookings. It's shaping up to be a bad year for us," he said.
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