The city may just shame itself again with a low turnout on Election Day which has been declared a paid holiday
The city may just shame itself again with a low turnout on Election Day which has been declared a paid holiday
The stateu00a0labour commissioner Arvind Kumar's initiative to get voters to ink their fingers by giving them a paid holiday on October 13 could boomerang, say Mumbai tour operators. In fact the holiday has worked in favour of the apathetic voter who wants to extend his long weekend holiday out of Mumbai. Tour operators reveal that travel bookings have gone through the roof what with Diwali around the corner. "With Diwali been the holiday season for Indians, there is huge rush of people travelling abroad and a growing demand for long holidays which might affect the voter's turnout on Election Day (October 13). The election date should have been set after Diwali, keeping in mind the holiday mood," says Pradip Lulla, acting president of Travel Agents Federation Of India (TAFI).
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"We have seen a 50 per cent increase in the business this Diwali. There is a huge rush for holiday bookings since September," said Tarique Khatri, VP, business development from Cleartrip.com. According to Khatri places like Goa, Himachal, Bangkok and Singapore are top holiday spots this season. Fewer Diwali holidays have also prompted Mumbaikars to leave town according to Iqbal Mulla, owner of Treasure Tours and Travel. "Swine flu dampened our business during Lok Sabha elections. But this assembly elections, people have made plans for Diwali vacations in advance," says Mulla.
The Lok Sabha this year polls saw a dismal turnout of 41.24% Mumbaikars; the figure was still less than 50%, in the last assembly polls in 2004.
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