Airfares have fallen by an average of 40 percent and hotel rates are down by 18 percent due to the coronavirus situation, travel planning website Yatra.com has said.

In fact, fares on Delhi-Mumbai route for travel on March 11 were down by nearly 70 percent on-year if compared with the year-ago period.

Similarly, fares on Mumbai-Bengaluru route are down by over 45 percent for March 11 travel. Interestingly, fares on Delhi-Goa for March 11 were up by 8 percent. It is important to note that people have been postponing or cancelling overseas leisure plans due to government advisories and are avoiding non-essential travel in the country as well.

While a total of 73 cases have been confirmed positive in India as of today, no case of coronavirus has been detected as positive in Goa so far.

"We have received close to 35 percent cancellation queries from travellers planning their trip to foreign destinations. With few Indian airlines having suspended flight operations to destinations with high coronavirus risk, airfares have dropped by 40 percent to affected destinations. There has been about 18 percent drop in hotel rates and we are receiving cancellation requests from various travellers who are wary of taking up trips domestically as well," Yatra.com said.

Yatra.com has also launched a Trip Protection Plan where customers can avail for the refund if they want to cancel their travel plans.

"In case our travellers want to cancel or delay their reservations, we at Yatra.com are advising and helping customers to postpone their travel dates and book for alternate dates," Sabina Chopra, co-founder and chief operating officer, corporate travel & head industry relations, Yatra.com said.

"Due to the coronavirus pandemic around the world, there has been a massive impact on the travel industry. The latest update on suspension of visas from all countries to India is expected to have a substantial impact on the foreign tourist arrival in the country which was already witnessing a drop due to the prevailing situation," Yatra added.

India has virtually quarantined itself for the next one month by suspending all existing visas till April 15.

"All existing visas, except diplomatic, official, UN/International Organizations, employment, project visas, stand suspended till 15th April 2020. Visa-free travel facility granted to OCI cardholders is kept in abeyance till April 15th 2020," the government said on March 11. These measures will come into effect from 1200 GMT or 5:30 PM IST on March 13 at the port of departure.

"Any foreign national who intends to travel to India for compelling reason may contact the nearest Indian mission," the government has said.

First Published:Mar 12, 2020 3:18 PM IST