GUWAHATI, Feb 15 - The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has for the first time launched international packages for customers from the North East.
This includes air packages to Thailand and Bhutan as well as a cruise package which will cover six European countries.
�There has been a lot of demand from people of Guwahati and adjacent places especially for international packages. So, catering to the demand of the people of this region, we have launched these new packages,� Debashis Chandra, Group General Manager (East Zone) of IRCTC, said in a press conference here today.
Chandra said that the �Thrilling Thailand� package would cover Bangkok and Pattaya in the South East Asian country. It will be of five nights and six days, from March 26 to March 31.
The package cost is Rs 40,129 per person on single sharing basis, and Rs 34,449 per person for double and triple sharing.
The package includes return airfare on the Guwahati-Kolkata-Bangkok-Kolkata-Guwahati route by SpiceJet, hotel accommodation on twin sharing basis in deluxe category hotels, meals and sightseeing.
The �Bhutan Air� package will be of five nights and six days, from March 22 to March 27 and it will cover Thimphu, Punakha and Paro. The cost is Rs 39,099 per person on single sharing, Rs 34,399 for double sharing and Rs 29,699 on triple sharing basis.
It includes return air ticket from Guwahati to Paro and back, accommodation, meals, water bottles, travel insurance, sightseeing and guide service.
IRCTC has also tied up with a Norway-based firm for offering a cruise package of 12 nights and 13 days.
Departure for the trip will be from New Delhi on June 24 by Emirates Airline. The countries to be covered by the cruise are Denmark, Germany, Poland, Finland, Russia and Sweden.
�The package cost is Rs 3,16,365 per individual and it includes flight tickets, hotel stay, insurance and visa charges, among other things,� Chandra said.
He added, �The packages we are offering are the cheapest in the market but the standard of the service will be at par with the most high-end packages. If we get good response to these, we will conduct more such trips.�
