Jaipur: Following the deadly car explosion near the Red Fort Metro Station in Delhi that claimed at least 12 lives, a Mumbai-based school cancelled its student tour of the Golden Triangle —Jaipur-Delhi-Agra— which was scheduled to begin in Jaipur.The school’s travel agent informed the Jaipur hotel of the cancellation on Tuesday, citing the blast and security concerns. Tour operators in the city said though it is early as yet to predict impact on travel, people have cancelled bookings because of the resultant uncertainty and actual impact will be clearer in the coming days.“Today, we received a message from the travel agent of the school to cancel the bookings for 22 rooms. They cited the Delhi car blast and security concerns,” said Sanjay Batarka of the hotel.The incident prompted a ramp-up in security measures across Delhi and the NCR. The US and the UK have issued advisories for their citizens in India to avoid the Red Fort and crowded areas and remain vigilant.Sanjay Kaushik, a senior official working with a tour operator, said, “Such incidents raise concerns about public safety and disrupt travel plans for domestic and international tourists alike.”However, he said that it will take a few days or a week to gauge the real impact on the travel plans of the overseas visitors who have already booked destinations.“International tourists plan their trips months in advance. So, they would take time to react and, if necessary, cancel. Things should be fine if there are no further incidents like this,” added Kaushik.Stakeholders of the industry said the sight of tight security and a heightened atmosphere of vigilance are never tourist-friendly.
Travel industry on edge after Red Fort car blast | Jaipur News
