Pune: Prime Minister Narendra ModiAn appeal to ban foreign travel for a year can boost domestic tourism, provided the government emphasizes on it.Tour operators highlighted two constraints in the Indian tourism industry. First, exorbitant domestic airfares. Second, high hotel rents during holidays. He demanded some kind of limit to be imposed to encourage inland travel.Nilesh Bhansali, president of the Travel Agents Association of Pune, said domestic tourism should be made more affordable if people are expected to avoid foreign travel. “Sometimes, a flight from Mumbai to Leh costs more than a trip to Dubai. Hotel charges in destinations like Goa often double or triple during long weekends, making domestic travel unaffordable for many,” he said.Prime Minister Modi earlier this week appealed to Indians for frugality amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia and disruption in global energy supplies due to rising fuel prices. He encouraged people to use public transport, avoid unnecessary gold purchases, revive the practice of working from home and reduce non-essential foreign travel to conserve resources.Travel industry representatives said the advisory could further hurt the struggling international travel segment, but would boost domestic tourism. “International travel is suffering due to high aviation turbine fuel (ATF) price. It has made every aspect of holidays costlier. Such appeals will have an impact on the travel industry, which has been facing tough times since the beginning of this year,” said a travel company official on condition of anonymity.Mehboob Shaikh, president of the Central and South Maharashtra chapter of the Travel Agents Association of India, said travel agents would be affected if there is a further decline in international travel. “We make most of our profits from international packages, flights, visas and foreign exchange. Domestic travel may increase, but it cannot compensate for international business. International travelers spend a lot more per trip. Naturally, revenue per customer will decline with the decline in foreign travel,” he said.Sheikh said the expensive ATF has also pushed up domestic airfares, limiting the scope for the expected shift towards domestic tourism. “Nonetheless, this is a good opportunity to strengthen the domestic travel market,” he said.Santosh Gupta, owner of Shri Vinayak Holidays, believes that the Prime Minister’s appeal will not have any immediate impact on travel behavior. “Nothing can stop people from travelling. Post-Covid, travel has resumed in a big way. People are adjusting their budgets and continuing to travel despite the high price of ATF. Summer holidays remain the favorite travel period for most Indians,” Gupta said. times of IndiaHaving said that, visible impacts may emerge during the winter travel window.Makarand Angal, owner of Go Holidays, said some travelers are reconsidering foreign holidays. “Two of my clients were planning to travel to Hong Kong and Macau, but at the last moment they went to Kashmir,” he said.Sujit Palikar, an IT professional from Kharadi, is planning to travel to Australia with his family next month. He said Modi’s appeal surprised him. “This has raised doubts. We are reviewing our plans,” he said.According to Angle, domestic tourism provides better customer satisfaction. “Domestic travel is easier to manage and strong competition keeps prices relatively under control,” he said.Another travel company representative said, “Travel today is not just a luxury. People travel for business, education, family needs, mental well-being and experience. If airfares and hotel tariffs within India become more reasonable, we will strongly promote domestic tourism.”