Tour operators making foreign holidays an affordable reality

Thanks to tour operators and their affordable packages, enjoying holidays abroad is no longer a stuff of dreams.
There are many who always wanted to visit other countries but were at a loss when it came to arranging the trip.
But with the emergence of competent tour operators, the entire process has been simplified, with Bangladesh's outbound travellers having grown by 15-20 percent in the last few years.
In 2011, around half a million people went abroad from Bangladesh, with 65 percent having availed the services of the tour operators.
“We, the tour operators, take away all the pains. From processing visas and hotel bookings to arranging guided tours during the stay, we take care of everything,” said Abdul Hakim, the proprietor of Mountain Club Tours.
The best part about the package holidays is the cost, which tends to be lower than the self-arranged ones.
“We have been in the business for a long time and have agreements with foreign hotels,” said Hakim, whose company is arranging tours to Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Nepal for this Eid vacation.
Since tour operators make their transactions in bulk, many foreign hotels extend credit facilities to them.
“If an individual traveller needs to spend $140 for accommodation, we can manage it within $100 as per our agreements with the hotels,” he said.
Hasan Mansur, president of Bangladesh Tour Operators Association of Bangladesh, said more and more Bangladeshis are going abroad for holidays.
“In the last four to five years this has grown too fast,” he said, citing the higher incomes as a major reason for the trend.
Kazi Wahidul Alam, the editor of Bangladesh Monitor, a travel fortnightly magazine, said the concept of going abroad under a tour package is fast on the rise.
“The response has been enormous as they can enjoy a hassle-free tour under a package,” he said, while revealing India, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Dubai to be the preferred holiday destinations of Bangladeshis.
However, as per the tour operators, this Eid saw lower bookings of package holidays than in previous seasons.
“The economic slowdown may be a reason,” said Zahirul Islam, chief executive officer of Discovery Tours and Logistics.

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