Folks,
The issues here are complex. To try to simplify matters I omit some exceptions and run the risk of minor inaccuracies. However do feel free to challenge me.
The charter airlines (Excel & Monarch) operating to Goa do not sell tickets to the public or travel agents but only to a small number of big tour operators - TravelPack, Somak, Hayes & Jarvis and Jewel in the Crown. These tour operators block book the flights for a whole season and make their money by offering package tours to holiday resorts. If they anticipate that there will be greater supply than demand for the seats, they sell them on a flight only basis or release them to travel agents. The prices tend to drop nearer the departure date.
The Jan 2004 Indian Government regulations governing charter flights are contained in a 10 page document which can be found at http://dgca.nic.in/aic/aic02-04.pdf To quote selectively:
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Inclusive Tour Package (ITP) is defined as ...charging for the airfare, hotel accommodation and other services like visits to tourist places.
4. Conditions for Operation of ITP Charter Flights All tourists carried on these flights should have booked the inclusive tour package in the originating countries.
iii) The duration of stay of charter tourists in India shall not be less than
one week and not more than four weeks.
ix) The charter operators may be permitted to carry one-way passengers not availing 'Inclusive Tour Package', on the first leg of outward operation and on the last leg of inward operation...
xi) Tourists availing ITP charter flights would not be permitted to fly on
inward or outward journeys using a scheduled airline.
[What does this mean?]
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We have created the demand for stays in Goa of over 4 weeks and one way tickets. We have broken the law by buying flight tickets without hotel accommodation.
My understanding ( and I use the word since it is unverified), of the situation is that some or all of the big tour operators provide backhanders to the airport authorities for turning a blind eye to their transgressions - long stays, one-way etc. on direct sales by them to the passenger. The cost of this is reflected in the ticket prices anyway. But this has led to an expectation from the airport authorities for a handout from the travel agent clients. But the travel agents obtained their tickets from the tour operators! Hence we have to be grateful to travel agents like Fernandes for warning us what to expect and asking us to complain to the authorities.
Regarding Jose's enquiry:
Would anyone know WHY it is that the Govt of India has made it "illegal for charter tickets for stays greater than 4 weeks to be sold" .
Another complex issue. There has been much criticism (unfairly in my opinion) of low spending charter tourists - the backpackers, extended stay visitors, NRIs, etc. It is argued that the short (less than 4 weeks) stayers spend proportionally more. The five star hotel lobby brought pressure to restrict the length of stay because of the feeling that a short stayer would bring in more money to them. This, I feel is a fallacious view because the long stayer only gets his seat if there is insufficient demand from the short-stayers. There is a danger that allowing only short stayers on charter flights will result in reduced flights and damage the tourist industry.
Cheers
Eddie Fernandes. London
