Travel now, pay later
KATHMANDU, July 27
Outbound tour operators have started offering tour packages on installment basis. With this Nepalis, who are used to buying homes and apartments, electronics, automobiles and gadgets on installment, can now easily travel to different destinations across the world without having to pay the full amount to tour operators.
Quest Travels & Hospitality Solutions has been offering tour packages on installment basis for the past one year. But it got momentum after the earthquake of April 25 as many Nepalis wanted to travel out of the country to escape to a safer place and to meet their friends and families.
"We started the facility to provide travelers, especially job-holders who do not have much savings, an easy option so that they do not have to worry about the payment," Sumit Shah, CEO of Quest said.
Quest offers installment facility through Nabil Bank Ltd. The company offers tour packages to Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and Dubai, among others, on installment basis. According to the company, more than 300 Nepalis have already benefited from its facility.
According to Shah, one has to pay down payment of Rs 10,000 for a five nights, six days package to Malaysia and Singapore. They will need to pay EMI of Rs 6,000 for a year. Similarly, one needs to pay Rs 10,000 as down payment and EMI of Rs 5,500 for a year for a four nights, five days trip to Dubai and. Likewise, travelers need to pay down payment of Rs 5,000 and EMI of Rs 3,800 for a year for Thailand trip.
The package includes accommodation on twin sharing basis, city tour and sightseeing, breakfast, airport transfers, roundtrip airfare, visa fees and applicable taxes. Interested travelers, however, should have a credit card issued by Nabil Bank and earn more than Rs 25,000 per month.
Tour operators like Hamro Holidays and Sea Links Travels and Tours, among others, are also preparing to offer tour packages on installments.
"We are holding talks with banks to introduce installment facilities for long-haul trips," Suman Lal Shrestha, CEO of Hamro Holidays, said. "As it will be difficult for people to arrange money for buying holiday packages to USA, Australia and Europe, we plan to cater to that segment."
Hamro Holidays currently offers 'Carry Zero Money Tour' to Australia, USA, New Zealand, Turkey and many other countries. The company charges Rs 250,000 to Rs 500,000 for tour packages to these countries. The rates include visa fee, airfare, all meals and all land and air transfer within the country.
"We are soon launching installment facilities for our long-haul trips," added Shrestha.
Raju Dhakal, managing director of Sea Links Travels and Tours, said that they are also working to offer tour packages on installments.
According to tour operators, Thailand is the most popular outbound tour destination for Nepalis. The 'buy two, get one free' offer launched by Nepal Airlines Corporation on Bangkok sector has come as a boon to these tour operators. Ram Hari Sharma, spokesperson of NAC, said the national flag carrier has already received bookings for 3,984 tickets since the offer was launched in mid-May.
Source: Republica
