It’s less than a month to go for the Commonwealth Games, but instead of rushing to ticket counters, Delhiites seem to be busy booking tour packages out of the city, this October. Strange as it may sound, many don’t want to be here during the games and are keeping tour operators and travel agents on their toes. “Delhiites just love holidays. Games or no games, even if it’s just one day, they prefer going out of town. Comparatively, the rush for tour packages has increased this October. Now that
schools too will be closed, sale of family packages are at an all time high,” opines Mandeep Bhagat of Bhagat Travel Agency, Lajpat Nagar.
Tour agencies in the city inform that nearby tourist destinations like Jaipur, Rishikesh, Shimla are becoming hot favourites, and the rush for bookings is as high as it is during summer vacations. “This Dusshera will see many people travelling to nearby tourist destinations. They have interesting options like Rishikesh (with rafting season resuming this October), Jodhpur (the Jodhpur Riff festival, and Marwar mela),” says Amit K. Bhandari of Express travels. And as far as special packages are concerned, following the increase in prices by luxury hotels and lodges, tour operators have come up with innovative deals for customers.
“With a lot of hotels and lodges increasing their prices expecting to cash in on the influx of tourists during the Games, we have cheaper alternatives. For example, we are luring clients by giving them options such as outdoor camping and hiking,” says an employee of Bharat Travel Agency on the condition of anonymity.
When we asked Delhiites why have they decided to give CWG a miss (especially when it’s happening in the capital for the first time), many said it’s because the city would be in a mess during the games with added security and traffic congestion, so it’s better to be on a holiday during that time.
“Honestly, I am not a great fan of athletics. Although I like other sports like hockey and boxing, they are not enough to make me miss my holidays. I have been waiting for October all this year and I won’t postpone my holidays just for CWG,” opines Ashish Khetriwal, a chartered accountant.