Stronger rupee makes travel much cheaper
11.08.2009
Airline tickets and boat charter fares have dropped sharply because the rupee has gained in value, meaning a traveller now needs less in local currency to buy a ticket.
All the airlines contacted said this yesterday when the US dollar was selling at just R12.85.
A number of them are also selling tickets at promotional rates, with Air Seychelles asking for R5,730 instead of R6,298 to Mauritius, Qatar $782 – down from the usual $1,010 – to India, and Kenya Airways $300 instead of $400 to Nairobi.
And a boat operator said: “Most of us in the boat charter industry have not changed our rates, but since foreign currency is cheaper now our customers are paying less.”
The National Statistics Bureau said last week that inflation has continued to fall, and the travel industry’s lower charges contributed greatly to the July drop, from 42.8% to 39.8% on a year-on-year basis.
The prices of soft and alcoholic drinks and vegetables, among other items, went down in July, cutting the rate of inflation.