Staying in a glass igloo in Rovaniemi’s Santa Claus Village, chasing the Northern Lights, enjoying a husky ride and an icebreaker cruise in Lapland, visiting Christmas markets in Switzerland!

This Christmas, many Calcuttans will enjoy the snow in Europe, the US or Canada, and also visit traditional warmer destinations such as Thailand, Singapore and Sri Lanka, and Goa and Rajasthan closer home.

A group of 12 from the city will be on a 10-day trip to Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi, Finland.

“It would be a six-day stay. The group will stay in glass igloos and chase the Northern Lights,” said the tour operator organising the trip.

Husky rides and a cruise on the icebreaker Polar Explorer on Bothnian Sea in Lapland, Finland, are on the itinerary, he said.

Other groups have booked visits to London for Christmas.

“We will be visiting the Christmas villages in London, of which we have heard so much,” said a member of one of the groups.

City-based businessman Ishwar Ahuja will be in Switzerland during the Christmas-New Year window.

“We will reach Switzerland in the middle of December and return a day after New Year,” said Ahuja, whose group comprises three couples.

“We will crisscross Switzerland, visit Christmas markets and other places,” said Ahuja. “Earlier, we have been to Switzerland in October and November. This is the first time we will be spending Christmas in Switzerland. We are looking forward to enjoying a white Xmas,” he said.

Tour operators said Calcuttans have long been visiting Europe and the US during Christmas, but this time they will be going in larger numbers.

“This year, significantly more people are going to see the Northern Lights and stay in Santa Claus Village compared with the last few years,” said Avijit Das, the managing director of Hermes Voyages.

“Also, Vietnam is much in demand this year.”

Along with Santa Claus Village, many tourists are heading for Thailand and other south-east Asian countries because of the visa-free entry they are offering.

“Many who would otherwise go to domestic destinations are planning to visit Thailand, Vietnam and other neighbouring countries because of the visa-free entry,” said Anil Punjabi, a national committee member of the Travel Agents Federation of India, representing the eastern region.

“A Thai visa used to cost around ₹3,000 per person. For a big group, the visa-free entry means a lot of savings. Also, there was a lot of paperwork (when the visa was mandatory),” he said.

With a surge in demand, IndiGo is adding one more flight on the Calcutta-Bangkok route from November 24, said sources. The flight would operate four days a week.

“Ticket prices for the Calcutta-Bangkok sector have started rising for the Christmas holidays,” said an airline source.

According to an official of an airline, the demand is soaring for destinations such as Goa, Bagdogra and Guwahati from Calcutta for the last week of December.