Kolkata: Bolstered by an encouraging trend seen in the last general elections and the subsequent state Assembly polls across the country, many tour operators and travel companies are gearing up for what they call ‘poll tourism’. They are mainly targeting foreign tourists as political parties get ready for the April-May Lok Sabha contest and simultaneous Assembly elections in some states. .
Poll tourism, which is emerging fast as a new segment, is not considered to be leisure travel. Many operators are betting on overseas students, media persons, youngsters and researchers keen to witness Indian elections to join their tours.
“This new segment is fast emerging in India as overseas students, researchers and youngsters are increasingly taking interest in the world’s largest democracy. They are keen to see how the Election Commission of India (ECI) conducts the poll process, which is a humongous exercise,” Gujarat-based Akshar Travels chief Manish Sharma told this agency.
According to tour and travel operators, poll tourism as a concept was tested in the Gujarat Assembly polls in 2012 and had received ‘good response’ in the 2014 general elections and subsequent Assembly polls, though the scale of operations was on the ‘lower side’.
“This time, operators are gearing up and have started getting enquiries. About 5,000 tourists, taking the accumulated data from various operators, had come for the elections in 2014 from the US, the UK, UAE, Japan, Germany, France and many other European countries. Our expectation is that over 10,000 tourists will come this time for the polls,” Sharma said.
Like last time, the operators are planning to take tourists to public rallies of different political parties and trying to arrange interactions with candidates or ministers of the Central or state governments who are either in the fray or involved in the campaign for their respective parties, Travel Agents Federation of India National Committee Member Hitank Shah informed.
Asked why foreigners are keen to experience the poll process, Shah said: “Elections in India are like a festival. The Election Commission, too, calls the parliamentary battle the largest festival of democracy. Even the filing of nominations by the candidates has become colourful. Tourists coming from the UK, the US, Japan and some European countries want to see the political jamboree in India because they do not have the same kind of scenario in their respective countries.”
Along with witnessing the election process and procedure in India, the poll tourism packages covering 7-8 days tag known tourists’ destinations of various states so that the heritage, tradition and culture of India can be experienced, operators stated.
“We are expecting around 8,000-10,000 tourists to come and witness the election carnival in India. About 1,000-1,200 tourists have already made their bookings with various operators,” Shah stated.
Foreign tourists are keen to know how the electors choose their representatives in Parliament and how common people and political personalities interact with each other.
IANS