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The Hindu
23-06-2025
- The Hindu
U.S. travel advisory leaves Kerala's tourism sector uneasy
Kerala Tourism, which is struggling to return to the growth track in the post-pandemic era, will be impacted by the travel advisory issued by the U.S. asking its citizens to exercise increased caution while travelling to India. Tourism in the State heavily relies on the U.S. and the U.K. markets to meet its annual foreign footfall. The travel advisory issued on June 18 stated that rape is one of the fastest-growing crimes in India. Violent crime, including sexual assault, happen at tourist sites and other locations, it says. Terrorists may attack with little or no warning. They target tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets, shopping malls, and government facilities. Stating that the U.S. government has limited ability to provide emergency services to its citizens in the rural areas in India, it has asked its citizens to avoid the stretch comprising eastern Maharashtra, northern Telangana, and western West Bengal, where Naxalite groups are active, Jammu and Kashmir, and the northeastern States. The advisory does not mention Kerala specifically. Need for permission As per the advisory, U.S. government employees working in India are also required to obtain permission prior to travelling to most areas in the States such as Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Meghalaya, and Odisha. According to tourism industry stakeholders, the U.S. travel advisory is taken seriously by the tourists globally. An average foreign tourist will not try to check whether Kerala is excluded from the list. They simply drop the country from their itinerary in such a situation, said E.M. Najeeb, senior vice-president, Indian Association of Tour Operators. . According to Kerala Tourism figures, the U.K. is the biggest market for Kerala Tourism with British tourists accounting for 14.55% of the total foreign tourists who visited Kerala in 2024, followed by the US with 13.33%. Of the around 7.38 lakh foreign tourist visits in Kerala in the previous year, 2.05 lakh were from these two countries. Moreover, the travel advisory issued by the U.S. will influence tourists from European countries, James Kodianthara, chairperson of the Kerala chapter of the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO). West Asia crisis The foreign tourist season in Kerala begins by November and lasts till March, and the booking for the season normally begins shortly after the closure of an ongoing season and gains pace in June, July, and August. Already, the deepening economic and geopolitical challenges in West Asia are set to pose a serious challenge to the tourism markets here, as the majority of the tourists from Europe and the U.S. have to travel through the transit hubs in the strife-torn West Asia to reach here. The Union government should urgently reach out to the U.S. administration or take measures to counter the adverse effect of the advisory, said Mr. Kodianthara.
The Print
20-06-2025
- Business
- The Print
Air India bookings down 20 pc; fares dip up to 15 pc after Dreamliner crash
A London-bound Air India flight, AI-171 carrying 242 passengers and crew members crashed in Ahmedabad on June 12. All but one on board the plane died along with nearly 29 on the ground when the aircraft smashed into a medical complex in Meghaninagar area of the city shortly after takeoff. An Air India spokesperson did not respond to a query seeking comments from the airline. New Delhi, Jun 20 (PTI) Bookings for Air India flights have declined by around 20 per cent on domestic as well as international routes while the average fares have dropped by 8-15 per cent in the aftermath of the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crash last week, Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) President Ravi Gosain said on Friday. 'Following the unfortunate incident involving Air India, we have observed a temporary decline in bookings, particularly on international sectors. While the exact percentage varies by route, our estimates indicate a dip of around 18–22 per cent on international bookings and a 10–12 per cent decline domestically in the immediate aftermath. However, this appears to be a short-term sentiment-driven reaction, as confidence typically stabilizes over time,' Gosain told PTI. The IATO president shared that there has been a moderate adjustment in fares across key Air India routes. 'On an average, ticket prices have reduced by 8–12 per cent on domestic sectors where the airline competes directly with low cost carriers like IndiGo and Akasa. On international routes, especially to Europe and Southeast Asia, fares have seen a drop of 10–15 per cent, depending on route occupancy and competition. These reductions are mix of promotional strategies and yield correction due to lowered demand,' Gosain said. Asked whether there have been cancellations by travellers for Air India flights booked via tour operators, the IATO president said, 'Yes, we have witnessed a noticeable rise in cancellations, particularly from corporate and high-end leisure travellers who prefer to switch to alternative carriers'. He informed that the increase in cancellations was 15–18 per cent internationally, and 8–10 per cent domestically over the past week. However, this trend may normalize in the coming days as no systemic safety issue has been reported and authorities like DGCA reaffirm Air India's compliance with international safety standards. Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism & Hospitality (FAITH) General Secretary Rajiv Mehra also shared that an up to 20 per cent decline in bookings has been observed for Air India flights while the fares have turned cheaper by about 10 per cent on certain sectors where there is high competition with other carriers. 'As far as Air India is concerned, fares are around 10 per cent cheaper for both domestic and international routes than other airlines on certain sectors. Besides, there is a 15-20 per cent decline in new bookings for Air India flights on domestic as well as international routes after the crash,' Mehra said. He asserted that all airlines have to pull up their socks as far as aircraft maintenance is concerned, to ensure passengers. PTI RSN IAS CS RSN ANU ANU This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Time of India
20-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Air India bookings down 20%; fares dip up to 15% after Dreamliner crash
Bookings for Air India flights have declined by around 20 per cent on domestic as well as international routes while the average fares have dropped by 8-15 per cent in the aftermath of the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crash last week, Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) President Ravi Gosain said on Friday. An Air India spokesperson did not respond to a query seeking comments from the airline. A London-bound Air India flight, AI-171 carrying 242 passengers and crew members crashed in Ahmedabad on June 12. All but one on board the plane died along with nearly 29 on the ground when the aircraft smashed into a medical complex in Meghaninagar area of the city shortly after takeoff. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 23.7% Returns in last 5 years with Shriram Life's ULIP Shriram Life Insurance Undo "Following the unfortunate incident involving Air India, we have observed a temporary decline in bookings, particularly on international sectors. While the exact percentage varies by route, our estimates indicate a dip of around 18-22 per cent on international bookings and a 10-12 per cent decline domestically in the immediate aftermath. However, this appears to be a short-term sentiment-driven reaction, as confidence typically stabilizes over time," Gosain told PTI. The IATO president shared that there has been a moderate adjustment in fares across key Air India routes. Live Events "On an average, ticket prices have reduced by 8-12 per cent on domestic sectors where the airline competes directly with low cost carriers like IndiGo and Akasa. On international routes, especially to Europe and Southeast Asia, fares have seen a drop of 10-15 per cent, depending on route occupancy and competition. These reductions are mix of promotional strategies and yield correction due to lowered demand," Gosain said. Asked whether there have been cancellations by travellers for Air India flights booked via tour operators, the IATO president said, "Yes, we have witnessed a noticeable rise in cancellations, particularly from corporate and high-end leisure travellers who prefer to switch to alternative carriers". He informed that the increase in cancellations was 15-18 per cent internationally, and 8-10 per cent domestically over the past week. However, this trend may normalize in the coming days as no systemic safety issue has been reported and authorities like DGCA reaffirm Air India's compliance with international safety standards. Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism & Hospitality (FAITH) General Secretary Rajiv Mehra also shared that an up to 20 per cent decline in bookings has been observed for Air India flights while the fares have turned cheaper by about 10 per cent on certain sectors where there is high competition with other carriers. "As far as Air India is concerned, fares are around 10 per cent cheaper for both domestic and international routes than other airlines on certain sectors. Besides, there is a 15-20 per cent decline in new bookings for Air India flights on domestic as well as international routes after the crash," Mehra said. He asserted that all airlines have to pull up their socks as far as aircraft maintenance is concerned, to ensure passengers.
Mint
20-06-2025
- Business
- Mint
Air India bookings down 20 pc; fares dip up to 15 pc after Dreamliner crash
Air India flight bookings have dipped by around 20 per cent on international as well as domestic routes, while average fares have dropped by 8 to 15 oer cent as an effect of the Ahmedabad plane crash last week, Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) President Ravi Gosain said on Friday as per a report. The Air India plane crash on June 12 shocked the nation as AI-171 carrying 242 passengers and crew members crashed in Ahmedabad. All on board expect one died on the spot, with the total death toll being pegged at over 270 considering that the Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed into a residential building in the Meghaninagar area of the city shortly after takeoff. An Air India spokesperson did not respond to a query seeking comments from the airline, PTI reported. "Following the unfortunate incident involving Air India, we have observed a temporary decline in bookings, particularly on international sectors. While the exact percentage varies by route, our estimates indicate a dip of around 18–22 per cent on international bookings and a 10–12 per cent decline domestically in the immediate aftermath. However, this appears to be a short-term sentiment-driven reaction, as confidence typically stabilizes over time," Gosain was quoted as saying by PTI. IATO president Ravi Gosain also informed that a moderate fare adjustment had been observed across key routes of Air India, dropping by up to 12 per cent on domestic routes and 15 per cent on international ones. "On an average, ticket prices have reduced by 8–12 per cent on domestic sectors where the airline competes directly with low cost carriers like IndiGo and Akasa. On international routes, especially to Europe and Southeast Asia, fares have seen a drop of 10–15 per cent, depending on route occupancy and competition. These reductions are mix of promotional strategies and yield correction due to lowered demand," Gosain told the news agency. Asked whether there have been cancellations by travellers for Air India flights booked via tour operators, the IATO president said, "Yes, we have witnessed a noticeable rise in cancellations, particularly from corporate and high-end leisure travellers who prefer to switch to alternative carriers". He informed that the increase in cancellations was 15–18 per cent internationally, and 8–10 per cent domestically over the past week. However, this trend may normalise in the coming days as no systemic safety issue has been reported and authorities like DGCA reaffirm Air India's compliance with international safety standards. Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism & Hospitality (FAITH) General Secretary Rajiv Mehra also shared that an up to 20 per cent decline in bookings has been observed for Air India flights while the fares have turned cheaper by about 10 per cent on certain sectors where there is high competition with other carriers. "As far as Air India is concerned, fares are around 10 per cent cheaper for both domestic and international routes than other airlines on certain sectors. Besides, there is a 15-20 per cent decline in new bookings for Air India flights on domestic as well as international routes after the crash," Mehra said. He asserted that all airlines have to pull up their socks as far as aircraft maintenance is concerned, to ensure passengers.
Hindustan Times
20-06-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
After Ahmedabad plane crash, bookings for Air India down 20%, fares dip by 15%
Bookings for Air India flights have declined by around 20 per cent on domestic as well as international routes while the average fares have dropped by 8-15 per cent in the aftermath of the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crash last week, Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) President Ravi Gosain said on Friday. An Air India spokesperson did not respond to a query seeking comments from the airline. A London-bound Air India flight, AI-171 carrying 242 passengers and crew members crashed in Ahmedabad on June 12. All but one on board the plane died along with nearly 29 on the ground when the aircraft smashed into a medical complex in Meghaninagar area of the city shortly after takeoff. "Following the unfortunate incident involving Air India, we have observed a temporary decline in bookings, particularly on international sectors. While the exact percentage varies by route, our estimates indicate a dip of around 18–22 per cent on international bookings and a 10–12 per cent decline domestically in the immediate aftermath. However, this appears to be a short-term sentiment-driven reaction, as confidence typically stabilizes over time," Gosain told PTI. The IATO president shared that there has been a moderate adjustment in fares across key Air India routes. "On an average, ticket prices have reduced by 8–12 per cent on domestic sectors where the airline competes directly with low cost carriers like IndiGo and Akasa. On international routes, especially to Europe and Southeast Asia, fares have seen a drop of 10–15 per cent, depending on route occupancy and competition. These reductions are mix of promotional strategies and yield correction due to lowered demand," Gosain said. Asked whether there have been cancellations by travellers for Air India flights booked via tour operators, the IATO president said, "Yes, we have witnessed a noticeable rise in cancellations, particularly from corporate and high-end leisure travellers who prefer to switch to alternative carriers". He informed that the increase in cancellations was 15–18 per cent internationally, and 8–10 per cent domestically over the past week. However, this trend may normalize in the coming days as no systemic safety issue has been reported and authorities like DGCA reaffirm Air India's compliance with international safety standards. Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism & Hospitality (FAITH) General Secretary Rajiv Mehra also shared that an up to 20 per cent decline in bookings has been observed for Air India flights while the fares have turned cheaper by about 10 per cent on certain sectors where there is high competition with other carriers. "As far as Air India is concerned, fares are around 10 per cent cheaper for both domestic and international routes than other airlines on certain sectors. Besides, there is a 15-20 per cent decline in new bookings for Air India flights on domestic as well as international routes after the crash," Mehra said. He asserted that all airlines have to pull up their socks as far as aircraft maintenance is concerned, to ensure passengers.
