Protests against President Hosni Mubarak's promises of reform in Egypt have hit the Indian tour operators even though the January-March period is not the peak holiday season. "During these months, our main clients are newly wed couples and businessmen. And most of the Indians stranded in Cairo are business travellers," said a travel agent. There have been no booking to Egypt since the protests began week.
But cancellations from businessmen who had scheduled meetings in Cario are pouring in. "This is not the season for leisure travel. Most of the people travelling for business purposes," said Rajesh Rateria, managing director, Cirrus Travels. Rateria said that employees of a well-known company, who were to travel to Cairo for a conference, have delayed their plans. "They are waiting for the turmoil to abate before they make any bookings,'' he said.
Tour operator, Jay Bhatia said that this is the time when companies send delegations to Egypt. "I do not have a single query or booking for Cairo. Usually, we get a lot of business on this sector till the end of February,'' he said. A Fort-based travel agent said that one of his clients who usually conduct business meets in Egypt has chosen to host a tele-conference instead. "Other clients have also chosen alternate destinations like Singapore or Malaysia. For most Indians, the travel season ends immediately after the New Year, and aside from businessmen, the only other clients are newly weds," he said.
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