The Hindu Business Line : IRCTC mulls tourism packages for budget travel in South India

Budget travel in South India could get a major boost if tourism packages designed by Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd (IRCTC), the passenger services marketing arm of the Indian Railways, finds enough takers.

Introducing the seven different tour packages, Mr J. Vinayan, Additional General Manager, IRCTC, said that these were aimed at encouraging rail-bound tourism in the country. IRCTC, he said, provides value-added travel services such as reservation, ticketing, package tours, boarding and lodging to customers. The packages will soon be operated from Bangalore, Mumbai, Kolkata (Howrah) and New Delhi to Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

The packages will offer, among other things, assured rail reservation on train travel.

Mr Vinayan said the packages were cost-effective, and targeted different segments such as budget, standard and luxury travellers. The USP of the packages is that there are no hidden costs, and is inclusive of all taxes, entrance fee at heritage centres, toll fees and parking charges for vehicles. For instance, a four-night and five-day tour from Bangalore to Kerala, which includes Ernakulam, Munnar and Kumarakom in its itinerary will cost the budget traveller Rs 7,750. The standard and deluxe packages have been priced at Rs 10,600 and Rs 14,700 respectively.

For hotel accommodation in Kerala, arrangements have been made with Kerala Tourism Development Corporation and in Tamil Nadu the services of tour operators have been sought. The packages do not include any meal plan for the budget traveller, while standard and deluxe travellers will get accommodation on bed and breakfast basis.

Travellers opting for budget packages will get sleeper class accommodation on trains and those opting for standard and deluxe packages will travel on A/C III tier coaches. Currently, 10 berths each in sleeper class and A/C class are available for these packages per train every day.

The packages will be run on the Island Express (from Bangalore), Netravathi Express (from Mumbai), Kerala Express (from New Delhi) and Cape Howrah Express (from Howrah/Kolkata).

Places to be covered include Kochi, Munnar, Kumarakom, Thiruvananthapuram, Madurai, Kodaikanal, Thekkady, Chennai, Mamallapuram, Puducherry, Tiruchi, Rameshwaram and Kanyakumari.