PUNE: Hill stations and places with pleasant weather are favourite destinations of tourists during the scorching summers. With international trips being more preferred by travellers, European countries like United Kingdom, Italy, Germany and France are the preferred choice.
Shridev Hole, Sales Executive, Girikand Travels Pvt Ltd, Pune, said, “International tourist destinations like South East Asia and European countries are quite popular among people. This year, there is more preference for destinations in Europe like United Kingdom, France and Italy.”
“People are willing to travel and they are spending a lot of money. Those who have already covered countries like Singapore prefer going to European countries,” he added.
Priyanka Dhole, Sales Executive, Kesari Tours Pvt Ltd, Pune, said, “During summers, people prefer going to places with pleasant weather and this year, for domestic travel, they are going to places like Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Assam. For international travel, they prefer going to South East Asian countries, but Western European countries like United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy are more dominating this year.”
“People nowadays prefer international trips more than domestic tours and Europe is one of the most popular destinations among people. A lot of people also prefer going to Scandinavian countries as well,” she said.
Nilesh Bhansali, Director, Travel Agents Association of Pune, said, “Europe is one of the popular destinations among people, as it is very tourist-friendly.
Europe has nature, nightlife, history and adventure and thus caters to lots of people. For Indians, food is one of the important aspects to select the location and since Europe has lot of Indian restaurants while European cuisines are also very popular among Indians, it has become a popular choice among people.”
“Usually this season, a lot of family packages are in demand due to children’s summer vacation. Although international trips are a dominating trend, domestic hill stations in regions like Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal, North Eastern states are also quite popular tourist destinations during summers. A lot of people are also preferring going to Scandinavian countries to see the midnight sun,” he further said.
“International tours are becoming popular, as it is also a status symbol for people and in the age of social media, everyone wants to get photographed in exotic foreign locations to post on their social media handles,” he added.
