 "Jaipur, Udaipur top I-Day chart of tourist hot spots")
Airlines, hotels and online travel agencies have gone all out to lure travellers with discounts for the long weekend up to Independence Day and then stretching it to raksha bandhan on August 18.
Depending on how the vacation is tailored, the favourite domestic destinations are Jaipur, Udaipur, Goa, Coorg and Andamans. Dubai, Bangkok and Bali figure in the list of most sought overseas spots, according to travel metasearch firm Ixigo.
A number of travellers in metro cities are opting for travel to short haul places to make the most of this weekend.
"With the frantic and fast-paced city life leaving hardly any time for relaxation, the long weekend is a great opportunity to escape somewhere nearby," said Nikhil Ganju, country manager at TripAdvisor India. The travel site lists Jaipur, Mussoorie, Shimla and Udaipur as popular destinations for travellers in the capital.
With improved spending power along with declining airfares and great travel deals for the Independence Day long weekend, Indians have emerged as the newest globetrotters, said Rajeev D Kale, President & Country Head (Leisure Travel & MICE) at Thomas Cook (India). ''Our research reveals that increasing number of travellers are extending their long weekend as a result of additional holidays due to raksha bandhan falling in the same week."
The long weekend brings cheer to the travel industry in an otherwise lean season. "The July-September period is usually considered as an off season for travel. On the basis the bookings received thus far, it can be observed that rains and monsoons have not acted as a deterrent for people to make travel plans during the quarter, said Rajesh Magow," co-founder and CEO-India at MakeMyTrip.
Online travel agencies like MakeMyTrip and GoIbibo have been offering several hotel deals. Airlines too have announced discounted fares to attract flyers during the lean travel season. For instance, national passenger carrier Air India through its scheme "Monsoon Sale" announced discounts on select sectors in the economy class for travel on both domestic as well as on the international sectors.
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Travellers intending to fly Air India can avail all inclusive domestic fares starting at Rs 1,199 (one way, all inclusive) and international fares at Rs 15,999 (all inclusive) on select domestic and international routes. Low cost carrier (LCC) SpiceJet has also said that it will offer one-way fares as low as Rs 399 base fare (surcharge and taxes extra as applicable) for travel to select destinations on its domestic network and the international fares start at Rs 2,999 base fare (surcharge and taxes extra as applicable) for non-stop direct flights. Another LCC IndiGo announced its discounted air fares offer starting at Rs 806 for travel on its domestic network.
"We feel this is the ideal time for consumers to plan and book their flight tickets. Not just airlines, but online travel agencies too have come up with big air fare sales. At Ixigo, you can compare them all in one place and get the best possible deals. We also have a flat cashback of Rs 750 cashback on bookings," said Aloke Bajpai, chief executive officer and co-founder, Ixigo.