If you are looking for a value-for-money summer break, try Southeast Asia. Now that the World Health Organisation has lifted the travel advisory to the region following the outbreak of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome virus, airlines have slashed costs by 25 to 30 per cent to destinations like Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Singapore to attract traffic and make up for the loss of business in the earlier part of the year.

According to travel agents, Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines and Malaysia Airlines are offering discounts of as much as 30 per cent.

Malaysia Airlines has dropped both its economy and business class fares by 10 to 20 per cent up to September.

It is also offering a 30 per cent discount for travellers in the MICE (Meetings Incentives Conventions Exhibition) category.

Cathay Pacific has dropped fares by 20 to 25 per cent for the forthcoming season.

Singapore Airlines also announced its "early bird special" scheme that offers a 50 per cent discount over the promotional fares to Singapore.

In effect, the package, which is applicable to the first 15,000 passenger bookings worldwide, will cost only 25 per cent of the market fare.

Thai Airways is the only Southeast Asian airline that has adopted a wait-and-watch policy, though it is offering a 10 to 25 per cent discount for MICE-category travellers.

Air India may match competition by cutting fares. "Currently, we have halved our operations to Southeast Asia, but we hope to resume flights by next month. If the fares to destinations like Hong Kong and Singapore are low at that time, we will have to react," a senior A-I official said.

The Sars scare saw traffic to the region drop as much as 80 per cent in March and April over the corresponding months of the previous year.

The lifting of the WHO advisory in mid-May has helped contain that fall to 20 per cent over the year-ago period.

Traffic, however, is up 30 per cent over the previous month, and travel agents report a major improvement in queries for bookings.

Travel houses are planning to complement the fare cuts by offering more attractive packages as well.

"These will include extra sight-seeing, extending the package at no extra cost and the like," said Vikas Khanduri, regional manager (north India), Cox & Kings.