Demonetisation: Mixed impact on leisure travel

While some of the travel organisers say they were feeling the pinch owing to demonetisation, there are some who feel it will not have much impact on the number of tourists travelling abroad.

"The move has definitely had an impact in the last couple of weeks. We are feeling the pinch," said Claudio Zemp, director- India, Switzerland Tourism.

"We hope that in the long run the situation will ease out and things will be back to normal," he told PTI here.

He, however, said that it was too early to measure the quantum of effect of demonetisation on tourist footfall to Switzerland.

One of the most favoured destinations for first time travellers to Europe, honeymooners and those looking for adventure sports like skiing and sledding among others, Switzerland is aggressively promoting winter tourism as also summer tourism for 2017 to ensure that the number of tourist inflow from India does not fall.

"Although Indians love to go on a vacation during the summers, we do hope for a change after this campaign," Ritu Sharma, deputy director of Switzerland Tourism India, said on the sidelines of a road show promoting winter tourism.

The German National Tourist Office, India (GNTO), is, however, upbeat about the prospects of tourist flow from India for 2017, expecting a three to five per cent rise.

"We do not feel there will be much of a difference," Romit Theophilus, Director Sales & Marketing of GNTO, said.