Bengaluru: In August last year, the Karnataka State Tourism Department attempted to revive its luxury train service, the Golden Chariot, by introducing posh weddings. Couples could tie the knot, while travelling across in the state, with five star facilities to add to the extravagant experience. Eight months later, the offer has not seen any takers.
“No one has opted for the wedding package so far. We can't be sure why this has happened. The Golden Chariot targets foreigners who would like to spend time travelling on a luxury train. But for the wedding package, we expected Indians. The service is still available for any couple who approaches us,” said Mr Kumar Pushar, Managing Director, Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation.
In the opinion of Deepak, from Prime Service, a wedding, birthday and corporate events planning company, there are multiple reasons for people not showing interest in the package.
“Everyone knows the Golden Chariot train, but not many know of the wedding package. It has not been marketed well. People like cruise weddings, for example. If wedding and event planners were aware of this, they could work with the government and also present it to their customers," he said.
While KSTDC feels that the pricing is not a deterrent, Deepak feels otherwise. The official KSTDC website states that the 3-day wedding package costs Rs 15 lakh per day. “This would mean Rs 45 lakh just for travelling on the train! What about the function off the rails? Infrastructure cost, wedding ambience, spending on hosting the ceremony in historical places and cost per head for guests, all this would add up to a crore or more," Deepak said.
Couples who do opt for the offer would be able to enjoy tourist hotspots of Hospet, Hampi, banks of Tungabhadra and more. The Golden Chariot travels across Mysuru, Kabini, Goa, Badami, Hassan, Srirangapatna and more.
