It’s that time
of the year. The mercury is rising and the kids are getting excited about the prospect of the
summer holidays that are around the corner. It could also mean that time of the
year when the family goes out on a much-needed holiday. To cooler climes
possibly.
For Palemon Lobo a
resident of Colva, the summer months means its time to get out of Goa for a
while. A former resident of Mumbai who has now made Goa his home for well over
a decade, the businessman plans his holidays meticulously. A keen biker, he
likes to visit places where he can indulge his passion for biking. He has
visited countries all over the world and now intends to visit Thailand in a
couple of months. As he says” I get out of the capital in an hour by planning
my flight schedule well. I go into the interiors, the people are nice, the
roads decent and the food is so much better. Ten or twenty days away from the
hurly burly of modern life and I am refreshed. And yes, those long rides
certainly help.”
Damodar Kochkar who
runs a business in Verna industrial estate apart from being the President of
the association will be going on a holiday once his daughter’s holidays
commence. He said “I went off for a short break to Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh
right up to Tawang. It was lovely but that was last month. In May, I will be
going out, it has not been decided. If it is in the country, then I will drive,
otherwise it will mean a last-minute decision to go abroad. But yes, we will be
going on a holiday in the summer. We have done it every year”.
The yearning for a
break is strong but the demands of the business dictates that Albert Zuzarte,
Director, Western Beverages will not be able to go on a holiday in the summer
holidays. However, he will set off to Europe along with his wife to most
possibly France during the monsoons.
Lino Abranches, GM
Splendour Holidays, Panjim said the number of people taking holidays during the
summer months was increasing slightly every year. The first-time traveller
still preferred to visit Thailand, Malaysia or Sri Lanka. They usually took a
break for a week. The more experienced traveller would visit countries in
Western Europe or Russia. The average stay for those visiting these places can
be anywhere between 10-12 days. The travel agent books regular three- and
four-star hotels. A large percentage of the travellers in the summer he said
were families.
The shadow of the
elections is falling over plans to book holiday packages. CharuduttaRane,
Manager at Kesari Travels Panjim said many people who had booked their packages
during Diwali had to now reschedule their holiday because, the government was
not giving a NOC for government and private sector employees when it came to
applying for a visa. However now with the election dates announced, people were
rescheduling their holidays to dates immediately after the elections. Packages
to South East Asia was very popular for a large percentage of travellers who
used the company’s services. There were also a few bookings for Australia and
the UK and other parts of Europe. Rane said fifty percent of first-time
travellers visited Singapore, Malaysia for a week. Anyone going to Australia
usually spent two weeks.
The decision to go on
a holiday is sometimes taken on the spur of the moment. Gaurish Dhond, local
hotelier and a man with his finger in various pies said the season was still on
and he was busy. Then there was the small matter of the political situation
which was constantly evolving. The lead up to the elections meant, he was busy.
However he said “ Once everything settles and my wife decides she wants to go
to say Switzerland, then we will go”.
The
number of Goans leaving its shores for destinations within the country and
outside are definitely increasing every year and this year should witness the
continuation of that trend.
