Foreign shores beckon Bangalore revellers

BANGALORE: So where's Bangalore headed this New Year's? Popular domestic destinations are passe, and the preference has tilted in favour of foreign locales close by - Singapore, Hong Kong, Macau, Dubai and Malaysia - international destinations with the best night life, fine dining and shopping. Indians in general are flying out to ring in 2012. Leading names in the travel sector attribute this to the increased spending power of individuals and the desire to be part of grand year-end celebrations on foreign shores. "It's become a fad to travel abroad, more so for New Year eve parties. And with special packages on offer, the difference between a conducted tour to a foreign destination and a domestic tourist hub has narrowed down considerably," said Kawaljit Singh Narula, general manager of Le Passage To India (LPTI), Bangalore. According to tour operators, domestic tourism can be expensive, like a houseboat on the Kerala backwaters for the year-end. Add another Rs 20,000 and one can perhaps take a trip to Malaysia! Apart from people who would have planned their visits to foreign countries way in advance, tour operators say even last-minute bookings are on, showing a keen preference for overseas travel. Only in case of non-availability are they content with a domestic destination. "Last minute bookings can escalate the trip cost by Rs 10,000 per person but people are willing to shell out even those extra bucks just to be a part of New Year celebrations in Singapore or Malaysia," said a senior marketing official of Thomas Cook. "Ever since I was in school, I wanted to celebrate New Year's Eve in Singapore. The day I set my eyes on this packaged tour of three nights and four days there, I booked it. We are travelling in a group of five friends and intend to party through all the nights we are there," said Anand Kanitkar, a private bank employee. Evergreen hotspots back home, too, have a steady tourist count with party enthusiasts booking tickets to Goa, while nature lovers have their eyes set on scenic Coorg, Wayanad, Munnar and Kovalam. Saswati Mukherjee 16 Dec 2011 http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bangalore/Foreign-shores-beckon-revellers/articleshow/11127708.cms