London Dreams Coming True with British Airways This Season

Photo: Günter Hentschel 

Prominent tourist spots in countries like India are generally full of foreign tourists. Some of them travel here for months, making the locals wonder how they even manage to do that without working. However, the reverse is not exactly true. Till a decade ago, it was hard to find Indian tourists in Europe. Of late the trend has improved but the numbers are still low.

The reason is obvious. Exchange rates are friendlier for tourists of developed countries. For example, if someone enter India with a $1000, that would be more than INR 60000 in India. While it is a paltry sum for him at home, he can survive in India for at least two months with ths money if he opts for budget options. On the other hand, very few people in India actually earn that much in a month. If they need to go to the west, it would cost them several months of salary. This is primarily the reason we see very limited number of Indian tourists in countries like UK, France or Spain.

However, I have personally known a lot of travellers, especially bloggers who manage such trips routinely. It is not that they are exceptionally rich but they always find a way. After some discussions with some of them I realized that it they are basically smart travellers who know how to take advantage of opportunities. It is in this context I am talking about UK travels at the moment.

Why? Well because the exchange rates have become remarkably  favorable for the Indian travellers of late. One GBP is now close to INR 82. You may think it is high but it used to be more than 100 untill recently. Some recent events have caused this change but it can always go back to the original rates. So, coupled with the current festive season of Christmas, this seems like a good window of opportunity for people who have been planning to visit UK.

Practically speaking this, change in exchange rate means an automatic saving of at least 20%. On top of that, British Airways is trying to woo more foreign tourists by offering various exclusive shopping deals and discounts. I know someone who has been yearning to visit London due to its sheer history and architecture. He has just started planning the same because at the moment he is getting a double bonanza of reduced prices and an opportunity to witness the Christmas festivities and New Year fireworks on Thames too. If there ever was a good time to visit UK, it seems to be now!