Schengen bottlenecks trigger record-early Europe bookings from Gujarat

Travel agencies in Ahmedabad report an unprecedented January rush for summer 2026 Europe packages as Indian holiday-makers scramble to out-run Schengen visa delays. Appointment slots at VFS centres are now taking 45–60 days to secure, and rejection rates have climbed sharply since new EU document-verification rules came into force last quarter.

The result is a behavioural shift: families that once finalised itineraries in March are locking in flights and hotels two months earlier, often paying higher deposits to guarantee dates that align with school holidays. A typical 10-night western-Europe tour now costs about ₹2.69 lakh per person – ₹44,000 more than last year – as a weaker rupee (-19.4 % against the euro) compounds visa-processing uncertainty.



Corporate travel managers face similar pain. Conferences in Paris and Frankfurt are being moved online or relocated to visa-friendlier hubs such as Dubai and Singapore. Some engineering firms report postponing on-site acceptance tests because German and Italian consulates have paused group-appointment blocks.

Agents are steering risk-averse travellers towards Japan, Vietnam and Turkey, where e-visas are processed in under 72 hours. They also remind clients that India’s reduced 2 % tax-collected-at-source on foreign tour packages eases cash flow, but only if paperwork starts early enough to avoid last-minute premium-processing fees.