No refund clauses leave travellers with no option
Chennai: "Refrain from accepting tour bookings to Turkey and Azerbaijan" — this is the common message being circulated among tourist operators in Tamil Nadu, especially in Chennai.
Yet, a significant number of travellers from the city are proceeding with pre-booked trips to these regions — not by choice, but out of compulsion. With strict no-refund clauses attached to many tour packages, they will lose large sums if they cancel.
"Every summer, families plan trips to destinations such as Turkey and Azerbaijan," said Sriharan Balan, chairman – tourism, Southern India Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI).
"A family trip to these countries typically starts at 3.5 lakh. Many who prebooked and paid around 3 lakh months ago are now travelling despite safety concerns, simply because the packages are non-refundable. The fear is real, but the financial pressure is greater," he said.
New bookings to Turkey and other conflict-affected regions have now ground to a halt. "Most travel associations have issued advisories against accepting bookings to Turkey and Azerbaijan.
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We stand with India," said Padmini Narayanan, past secretary, Travel Agents Association of India. There's a noticeable shift toward safer international destinations such as Europe, South-East Asia, Japan, and South Korea, she added.
The recent spate of terror attacks has also impacted domestic travel trends. Tour packages to Kashmir — a long-time favourite for summer and winter holidays — have seen a sharp decline.
"This is mainly due to flight cancellations and the fear of further attacks," said Balan.
Instead, Indian travellers are looking at alternatives closer to home. "Hill stations in Sri Lanka, especially Nuwara Eliya, are becoming popular substitutes. Coorg in Karnataka is also seeing high demand — most major resorts are already fully booked," he added.
However, there is still hope for Kashmir's tourism sector. Sajad Ahmed, secretary-general of the Travel Agents Association of Kashmir, said, "After the ceasefire, Union civil aviation minister Rammohan Naidu met trade bodies and said efforts will be made to revive tourism. Until May, most bookings were cancelled. But now, fresh queries are coming in for June. Some clients are even postponing their trips instead of cancelling," said Ahmed.
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