Lakshadweep: Unprecedented Surge in Exploring Lakshadweep – Travel Firms | Pune News
PUNE: Travel companies in the city have observed a surge of over 60% in enquiries for Lakshadweep following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the beach destination and social media campaign to boycott the Maldives.
Spokespersons of online travel portals, such as ixigo and Make My Trip, TOI spoke to on Monday claimed a 2,900%-3,400% surge in Lakshadweep searches respectively in the last three-four days.
Rishikesh Pujari, director of Vihar Travels, said, “Those planning for the Maldives in summer 2024 have shifted their focus to alternatives. Individuals with tickets for the Maldives in February and March are enquiring about cancellation policies and potential losses. However, it’s unlikely that the booked tickets will be cancelled due to substantial deductions.”
He said enquiries for Lakshadweep in his firm have risen by 60% since the Lakshadweep-Maldives controversy started. “We started receiving five-six queries each day for Lakshadweep for the April-May period.”
Aloke Bajpai, co-founder and group CEO of ixigo, said, “We have witnessed a 2,900% surge in travel search queries for Lakshadweep in the last 3-4 days. The government’s encouragement to explore India’s lesser-known attractions has piqued interest.”
A source from Make My Trip said the company has observed a 3,400% increase in on-platform searches for Lakshadweep since PM Modi’s visit.
Some travel companies have ceased bookings for the Maldives, while others are no longer promoting the international destination.
Prashant Pitti, co-founder of EaseMyTrip, said, “We have suspended flight bookings to the Maldives in support of the government, impacting 2.4 lakh annual bookings made through our platform. In fact, bookings for the Maldives had surged by approx 40% last year as compared to the year before. However, we have introduced Lakshadweep as the premier destination, on par with international favourites, and we wish to enter into an alliance with the Lakshadweep Tourism soon to promote the destination.”
Santosh Gupta, owner of travel firm Shree Vinayak Holidays, said, “Following the recent derogatory statements by Maldivian ministers against our PM, we have decided to stop taking bookings for the Maldives. Our clients, too, are no longer keen to visit the Maldives, and are switching to destinations such as Bali and Mauritius.”
Nikhil Thakurdas, CEO, Odyssey Tours and Travels, and director of Cruisebay said, “Lakshadweep stands out as the most popular itinerary for India’s leading cruise line, which operates cruises between Mumbai, Goa, Kochi and Lakshadweep. Furthermore, Lakshadweep was the preferred cruise itinerary for our clients who sailed with another major multinational cruise line that also operated in India last November and December.”
(With inputs from
Joy Sengupta)
Spokespersons of online travel portals, such as ixigo and Make My Trip, TOI spoke to on Monday claimed a 2,900%-3,400% surge in Lakshadweep searches respectively in the last three-four days.
Rishikesh Pujari, director of Vihar Travels, said, “Those planning for the Maldives in summer 2024 have shifted their focus to alternatives. Individuals with tickets for the Maldives in February and March are enquiring about cancellation policies and potential losses. However, it’s unlikely that the booked tickets will be cancelled due to substantial deductions.”
He said enquiries for Lakshadweep in his firm have risen by 60% since the Lakshadweep-Maldives controversy started. “We started receiving five-six queries each day for Lakshadweep for the April-May period.”
Aloke Bajpai, co-founder and group CEO of ixigo, said, “We have witnessed a 2,900% surge in travel search queries for Lakshadweep in the last 3-4 days. The government’s encouragement to explore India’s lesser-known attractions has piqued interest.”
A source from Make My Trip said the company has observed a 3,400% increase in on-platform searches for Lakshadweep since PM Modi’s visit.
Some travel companies have ceased bookings for the Maldives, while others are no longer promoting the international destination.
Prashant Pitti, co-founder of EaseMyTrip, said, “We have suspended flight bookings to the Maldives in support of the government, impacting 2.4 lakh annual bookings made through our platform. In fact, bookings for the Maldives had surged by approx 40% last year as compared to the year before. However, we have introduced Lakshadweep as the premier destination, on par with international favourites, and we wish to enter into an alliance with the Lakshadweep Tourism soon to promote the destination.”
Santosh Gupta, owner of travel firm Shree Vinayak Holidays, said, “Following the recent derogatory statements by Maldivian ministers against our PM, we have decided to stop taking bookings for the Maldives. Our clients, too, are no longer keen to visit the Maldives, and are switching to destinations such as Bali and Mauritius.”
Nikhil Thakurdas, CEO, Odyssey Tours and Travels, and director of Cruisebay said, “Lakshadweep stands out as the most popular itinerary for India’s leading cruise line, which operates cruises between Mumbai, Goa, Kochi and Lakshadweep. Furthermore, Lakshadweep was the preferred cruise itinerary for our clients who sailed with another major multinational cruise line that also operated in India last November and December.”
(With inputs from
Joy Sengupta)