The Hindu Business Line : Keralites going South-Eastward for vacation

KERALA is among the most popular international tourist destinations this holiday season. But for many Keralites with a yen for travel, South-East Asia seems to be the place to be at this time of the year.

"Singapore, Bangkok and Malaysia seem to be the popular places to visit for travellers from Kerala during this period," said Mr K.C. Chandrahasan, Managing Director, Kerala Travels.

The interest in these destinations is so high that it's almost impossible to get a room, he added. For instance, despite the large number of hotel rooms available in Malaysia, no bookings are to be had for dates before January 10.

In addition to destinations such as Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, Sri Lanka is also gaining in popularity with travellers from Kerala, said Mr Anand R. Nair, Manager (Outbound Tours), The Great India Tour Co Pvt Ltd. "Shopping is a big attraction in Sri Lanka."

Similarly, Maldives and Mauritius are quite popular with honeymooners from Kerala.

According to Mr Chandrahasan, one reason for the popularity of these destinations is their proximity to Kerala and the good air links. "This makes them ideal for a short break at times such as Christmas."

Traditionally, though, the outbound tourist traffic from Kerala has never been very high during the Christmas-New Year season, with most of the activity reserved for the summer months.

However, with more Keralites showing an interest in travelling, this situation has been changing perceptibly over the past few years, according to Mr Nair.

Most of those travelling from Kerala journey in small family groups and opt for customised tour packages.

The effort is to craft holiday packages that meet the requirements and tastes of each group of travellers, according to Mr Chandrahasan.

Interestingly, many people from Kerala also make use of the Christmas-New Year holiday season to travel to other destinations within India.

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