Indigo flight cancellations disrupts tourism sector in peak season

The ongoing Indigo flight cancellations extends beyond stranded passengers. It is impacting india’s tourism sector, during the peak December-January season.

Domestic and international travellers, visiting destinations across India, including Visakhapatnam and other parts of Andhra Pradesh have been left stranded. Additionally, the disruption is also affecting travel and tour operators, hospitality industry and small vendors as they have to bear heavy losses.

On December 8 alone, eight flights were cancelled. Seven from Visakhapatnam, including four flights to Hyderabad, and one each to Bengaluru, Chennai and Delhi and the lone flight cancelled from Vijayawada was the 6E 6377/6378 Delhi-Vijayawada-Delhi flight.

Additionally, the steep surge in airfares by other airlines, and the scarcity of train berths due to the unprecedented festival rush is another factor affecting the industry.

K. Vijay Mohan of Tours and Travels Association of Andhra said: “Foreign tourists coming to India, mostly land in Delhi and Mumbai and opt for different tourism circuits or travel to different States in the country. Some prefer to travel by flights and some by trains, but most avoid travel by buses. In view of the Christmas and Sankranti holiday season, the trains are running full.”

“I lost three international tourist groups from Europe, who were scheduled to arrive in Visakhapatnam between December 15 and 20. They cancelled their trips in view of the flight disruption in India and uncertainty on when operations would resume. We had already booked hotel rooms, and now most hotels are refusing to refund payments. Though they have agreed to issue vouchers for future bookings. We (tour operators) have to forego the GST already paid,” he laments.