The ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 is just two days away, but Puneites do not seem interested to travel to Bangladesh to cheer Team India on February 19. Travel agencies said so far no one from the city has made any bookings for Bangladesh.
“People do not want to go to Bangladesh, probably because it is not a tourist hot spot. Besides, tickets for the first match are not available online and have to be purchased from retail outlets in Bangladesh. This could be another reason why not many are interested to travel to the country,” said Rahul Jagtap, a traveller counsellor with Girikand Travels.
However, the other neighbouring country, Sri Lanka, where 11 matches are going to be played, seems to be on the travel plans of a few Puneites. Though Girikand Travels has not got any takers for their affordable packages yet, Prasanna Travels has had a family book tickets for Sri Lanka.
“We are providing flight tickets, hotels bookings and car for sightseeing, but not tickets for the matches. The customers will have to purchase them,” said Deepika Kulkarni, sales executive at Prasanna Travels.
“Since travel agencies are not providing tickets for the matches, people do not want to take the risk of travelling abroad and finding that the tickets are sold out. We had a client enquiring for the Australia versus Sri Lanka match in Colombo on March 5, and another for Pakistan versus New Zealand match in Kandy on March 8, but backed out because he was not sure of getting tickets,” reasoned Nilesh Bhansali, public relations officer of the city-based Enterprising Travel Agents Association.
Kulkarni said, “Enquiries for tours to Nagpur, Delhi and Bangalore, where big matches are scheduled, have begun. If India wins its matches then the bookings will also start.”
Some tour operators are of the view that had the World Cup been organised in countries like Australia or England, the response would have been better from Puneites, since those countries are great tourist destinations.
