Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Season’s first chartered flight brings U.K. tourists

Photo: S. Mahinsha

In GOD’s OWN COUNTRY: Foreign tourists who arrived from the U.K. by the first chartered flight being given a traditional welcome at the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport on Friday.

Thiruvananthapuram: A chartered flight from Gatwick airport in the U.K. touched down at the international airport here on Friday morning with the first batch of 235 upmarket foreign tourists, heralding the four-month peak tourist season in the State.

The FCA 086 flight of First Choice, carrying tourists mainly in the 50-80 group, landed at 5.45 a.m. For the tourists, it was a ten-and-a-half-hour-long non-stop flight from Gatwick, the second busiest airport in the U.K., to Thiruvananthapuram.

The tourists were given a traditional welcome. Women attired in traditional Kerala saris presented floral garlands and applied sandalwood paste on the forehead of the guests. Jennet Salmon, Resort Manager, First Choice; Lisa, George Brooks and Jeff , representatives of the company, and Biju Nair of SITA were present.

The ‘panchavadyam’ ensemble was missing this time. The Information Centre of Kerala Tourism also remained closed. Tourism officials were conspicuous by their absence. The only solace was the presence of two Tourism police personnel. The tourists, however, had to face an ordeal to reach the parking ground near the domestic terminal. Many found it difficult to carry their baggage through the maze of taxies and private cars that were parked haphazardly on the road. Taxi drivers and beggars were seen pestering the tourists who were proceeding to the parking ground to board the buses.

The tourists arrived through the U. K-based ‘First choice’ and their subsidiary company Hayes & Jares. SITA will take care of the ground handling. The non-stop flight from Gatwick will come every fortnight on Saturdays till May 2008.

Mr. Prookshaw and his wife of Sussex, who arrived by the chartered flight, said the weather was warm and they were looking forward to a nice relaxing time. “We visited Goa and other cities in the country. It is our first visit to Kerala. We also want to go bird-watching during the holidays,” they added.

Later, the tourists left for the hotels and resorts in and around Kovalam, Poovar and Chowara. The tourists are being offered tailor-made 14-night package titled Highlights of Kerala and a six-night round tour Beaches and Backwaters package.

Meanwhile, the second chartered flight being operated by ‘My Travel” with 300 U.K. tourists will arrive here on Saturday. The non-stop flight is being operated from Gatwick airport jointly by three brands — Thomas Cook, My Travel and Manos — of Thomas Cook (UK). Another chartered flight from Sweden is also scheduled to arrive here on November 5. The Swedish tourists are being brought to the State by ‘Sol Resor’ after 11 years.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Discussion with doctors called off
Marking the October revolution
B.Ed. allotment schedule
Tight security measures at AGs’ offices
TDB bans plastic bottles, carry bags in Sabarimala
Special team to probe ASI’s killing
Mismatch between law and justice: jurist
Call to revive traditional art
Case against BJP worker
Need for new cultural awareness: Panikkar
Season’s first chartered flight brings U.K. tourists

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu