The dengue outbreak has become a cause of concern for foreign tourists planning a trip to India. Though there are no reports yet of a substantial number of cancellations yet, tour operators and travel agents in Delhi are flooded with queries about precautions and medications that must be taken to steer clear of the ‘breakbone’ fever.
“We are getting calls everyday from clients in US and Europe asking about the situation in Delhi. Many are quite concerned after hearing news about the dengue outbreak and deaths,” said the owner of a south-Delhi based tour operator service that offers customised tours to tourists.
“Most of them ask to know if there is any vaccination that they can get to avoid getting dengue. We have to tell them that there are none, but that they will be safe as long as they are properly clothed and use mosquito repellents like Odomos,” he said on condition of anonymity. “Thankfully, we haven’t seen any cancellations yet, even though the number of queries is really high,” he added.
“Foreign tourists arriving in Delhi from north America and north Europe are usually more inquisitive about such developments, but we assure them that there is nothing to worry about as long as they take precautions,” said Rajji Rai of the Travel Agents Association of India.
Almost 35 per cent of all foreign tourists visiting India make Delhi their first stop before moving to other destinations.
“We have been telling our customers that dengue is something that happens every year and is already on the fag end,”said Subhash Goyal, chairman of STIC Travel, one of the biggest travel companies in the country.
“There is not major panic or cancellations as such, but some people have called to ask about dengue. We have told them that tourist areas in the city are absolutely safe,” Mr. Goyal said.
