Normally, tourist traffic picks up in October and the money-making season for the hospitality industry begins. This is the time when hotels end their discounts and the tariff starts firming up. Not this year. As people in the US and Europe cancel their travel plans following the terrorist attacks on the US, Indian hotels are preparing to offer further discounts in a bid to lure the tourists. Industry sources disclose that the discounts could range from 25 per cent to 40 per cent.
Some hotels have started looking at attracting travellers from new destinations. Tour operators are talking of packing more into their packages to tide over the crisis even as they prepare themselves to slash their prices. Black Tuesday has caused hotels and tour operators to reframe their marketing strategies.
Tourists from the US and Europe account for almost 60 per cent of the total tourists visiting India. According to Sita Travels (inbound division) chief operating officer Arjun Sharma, tourist arrivals during the year could fall well short of the two million figure reached last year.
To cope with the crisis, hotels are preparing themselves to offer discounts. Says a Le Meridien official: