The new rules have already started casting a shadow on not just business prospects of travel agencies, but also on trips to Kerala. Operators said they will have to start recovering the tax amounts from travellers. This means that a trip costing Rs. 4,500 in an MUV from Mangaluru to Bekal, for instance, may soon cost Rs. 7,000. Tour operators fear that the spike in rates may push people to hire white board private vehicles, which they deem illegal. The implications are not just cost-wise. Sanjar Imam, president, Karnataka Tourism Forum, said the State could lose out on its tourism prospects as well. This is because tourist outflow from Kerala comes to Karnataka, which they may choose not to because of the higher cost of trip, added Kawaljit Singh Narula, assistant vice-president, Le Passage to India Journeys.
