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Sankar Radhakrishnan

Thiruvananthapuram , Sept. 12

TRADITIONALLY, Kerala's Onam festival has been a time for families to gather, often in the ancestral home, and celebrate. But for many Keralites Onam is no longer just a time for festivities, but also a time to travel outside the State.

People from Kerala have started using the Onam holiday season as a time to travel abroad and also within the country, said Mr Anand R. Nair, Manager-Outbound Tours, The Great India Tour Company Pvt Ltd. In fact, many travel companies have developed special `Onam packages' to meet the requirements of this segment.

Most of these packages are valid till the end of September and are being aggressively promoted, he added.

Similarly, international airlines too are offering special holiday packages for the Onam season. SriLankan Airlines is, for instance, offering packages to Sri Lanka and Bangkok, said Ms Asha Subramanian, Sales Manager-Thiruvananthapuram, SriLankan Airlines.

These special holiday packages are valid till the end of September, she added.

Most of those travelling from Kerala journey in small family groups and opt for short holidays so they can also take part in the Onam festivities, especially the traditional feast on Thiruonam day, Mr Nair pointed out.

So the special Onam holiday packages have been designed keeping this aspect in mind, he added. In addition to popular destinations such as Singapore, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, China is also gaining in popularity with travellers from Kerala, said Mr K.C. Chandrahasan, Managing Director, Kerala Travels.

The interest in China is likely to increase in coming months, he added.

Similarly, weekend breaks are also becoming popular with people in Kerala, he pointed out.

Many people from Kerala also travel to other parts of India during the Onam season, said Mr Nair. Popular domestic destinations include Ooty, Coorg and Goa.

In the past, outbound tourist traffic from Kerala has never been very high during the Onam and Christmas seasons, 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, he said.

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