New Delhi: Heavy rains are considered holiday spoilers in many parts of the world. Some western tour operators are careful to include disclaimers that they won’t be held responsible for any financial losses due to rainy weather during a vacation.

In India, where tourism peaks from September through March, figures for the monsoon months show a dip as low as 65%.

Now, the CII and various state governments of India are planning on promoting tourism during the monsoon seasons within India, a time when tourism is at its lowest in the year. “This is a great initiative”, says Sandeep Dayal, VP of tour company Le Passage to India. “Monsoon is a beautiful part of India and Indians have grown up with them.”

Since Indians are accustomed to the rains, the tourism industry is looking to market and package monsoon travel products to appeal to various customer segments.

Still, it will be a hard concept to sell within India, as people associate monsoons here with waterlogged streets, stranded trains, potholes, building collapses and often, tragic events like floods and landslides.

However, the Indian mindset is used to rains, so if done strategically, promoting monsoon tourism within India could be successful, giving a boost to tourism during the lean season.