Weak rupee fails to deter Hyderabad tourists

​Hyderabad: Fall in rupee hasn’t dampened the spirits of travellers from Hyderabad, who have already booked and planned a trip abroad. With the festive and holiday season around the corner, travellers are gearing up to enjoy the coming winter season. However, people from the city who are making new bookings are avoiding the countries that are witnessing heavy currency fluctuations, according to travel industry insiders.

The Indian currency has been one of the worst performers in Asia in 2018, losing nearly 13 per cent value against the US dollar. It had crashed to an all-time low of Rs 72.91 against greenback during this year.

“Though no significant cancellations have been noted post the rupee depreciation, people are being more vigilant regarding the total travel spends, be it shopping abroad, choosing pocket-friendly accommodation or the total travel days. Travelers doing fresh booking are actively looking for destinations that remain least affected by rupee fall, and this includes destinations such as Turkey, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Belarus, said Manmeet Ahluwalia, Marketing Head, Brand Expedia (India).

Another travel company Cox & Kings also observed that travellers hold a buffer of nearly 20 per cent in expense while planning a holiday to cater to an exigency. Karan Anand, Head- Relationships, Cox & Kings Ltd, said: “Those travelling overseas for the coming winter are busy with their preparations and are unfazed by the development. Travel plan of an individual is based on his interest to visit the destination and it is not governed by the rate of exchange. In 2013, the rupee had depreciated against the $ but it did not impact tourist departures to dollar denominated destinations.”

According to him, summer vacations and the winter period from October to December coinciding with Diwali and wedding season leads to increase in travel bookings to Australia, New Zealand, Egypt, Greece and Europe whereas Seychelles, Mauritius and Maldives attracts the honeymoon traffic.

As regards to Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Expedia is expecting a 30 per cent jump in traffic as travelers continue their plans till the year-end. Usually, travelers from Hyderabad visiting the online platform prefer destinations like Dubai, Kuala Lumpur, Colombo, Singapore, Thailand, Bangkok, London, Indonesia and Hong Kong. “The Telugu states are among our top performing markets in India. In the past couple of years, we have seen a rise in queries and bookings by over 27 per cent,” added Ahluwalia.

Recently, Thomas Cook India, encouraged by 20 per cent outbound tourists growth from Telangana, opened its fourth branch in the city. Rajeev Kale, President Holidays, Thomas Cook (India) Ltd, said: “Telangana is our high potential market, and is identified as a prime driver and continues to deliver strong growth for our leisure travel business.”

Citing Hyderabad as a vibrant travel hub with convenient disposable income, many online and offline platforms are inkling towards expanding their presence in the city. And, fluctuations in the currency value will not broadly upset the plans of a well-planned traveller.