The travel trade in Uttar Pradesh has taken a beating in the face of global economic slowdown.
The business has seen a decline of over 30 per cent in the recent past and more downturn is expected to follow.
The average bookings have also declined with companies keeping away from air travel booking unless necessary. This is on the pretext of their cost cutting measures. Many are also taking the railway route to Delhi from Lucknow, in an attempt to save on cost and then en route a journey towards cities like Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai as per their travel plans via flights.
“There is definitely a decline in travel trade especially air travel and most importantly there has been a slowdown on account of corporate bookings,” Anand Bora, assistant manager, Travel Corporation (India) Private Ltd/Thomascook (TCI), Lucknow told Business Standard.
According to him their ticketing turnover has reduced to about 25 per cent. Earlier the Corporation did a business of approximately Rs 1 crore monthly.
Lucknow alone has over two dozen small and big travel agencies operating in the city. Travel Corporation (India) Private Ltd/Thomascook, Mayfair Airtravel Services, Avadh Travel and Tours, Multiways Travel, Globe tour and Travel and Arjun Travel Service are some of the popular travel agencies in the city. With crisis in the aviation sector and swelling ticket prices, the travel agents in UP are looking towards securing their money and are working for keeping the payment of air tickets by clients straight.
“To get going in the present day slowdown, our most important consideration is getting our ticket imbursements on time from clients. It is through this sum which helps us to carry on our business,” said Vikas Jain, manager, Akanksha Travel and Tours.
Agreeing to this, Bora informed that majority of travel agents are working towards recovery of money from the market.
The agents are at present following the practice of confirming the mode of payment for tickets from customers before booking them. Earlier the agencies used to book tickets and payments were to made later.
Delay for some time in case of corporate clients and regular ones were also entertained. But in the present scenario, when money flow is stringent and costs are being worked out, such delays are not taken for granted.
“Credit bookings are slowly moving out of the markets with more and more travel agents asking for cash down payments from their clients,” informed a manager of a reputed travel agency in Lucknow.
