Winter getaway: Thailand leads despite 51% rise in flight fares from India

Which place do Indians prefer to go to for winter vacation? If you think Maldives is still among the top choices, you're wrong. Travel patterns from December 20, 2024 to January 2, 2025 shows a shift in preferences. While destinations like Thailand, Vietnam, and Bali have seen an 80-100% surge in flight bookings, the Maldives has dropped out of the top-searched destinations, according to data from the travel app Ixigo.

 

On the domestic front, the allure of snowy landscapes and the charm of hill stations pull travellers towards the mountains. The data showed that popular locations such as Jammu, Srinagar, and Dehradun have recorded notable year-on-year growth in flight bookings.

 

Religious destinations are also seeing a rise in interest. “Bookings to spiritual spots like Shirdi, Tirupati, Amritsar, and Varanasi have grown by 22% and as high as 669% year-on-year,” said Ixigo.

 

“As we approach the year-end holiday season, we’re seeing a fascinating shift in travel preferences. Destinations like Thailand, Vietnam, London, and Bali have emerged as the top picks for international travel this winter, witnessing an 80-100% year-on-year growth in bookings,” said Aloke Bajpai, Ixigo Group CEO.

 

“For the first time, Maldives has not featured in the top-10 most-searched destinations for year-end travel, reflecting a growing preference for more varied and immersive vacations over traditional hotspots,” he added.

 

The data showed international flight bookings increased by 48-174% year-on-year for popular destinations like Bangkok, Phuket, Abu Dhabi, Colombo, Singapore, London, Vietnam, Bali, and Dubai during the holiday season.

 

A surge in international bookings

 

Bangkok: 166% increase

Phuket: 168% increase

Abu Dhabi: 174% increase

Vietnam: 102% increase

Bali: 96% increase

London: 80% increase

Dubai: 48% increase

Colombo: 37% increase

 

Domestic destinations: mountains over beaches

 

Mountain getaways gained prominence, with major increases in bookings for Jammu, Srinagar, and Dehradun:

Jammu: 147%

Srinagar: 66%

Dehradun: 87%

Udaipur: 126%

Goa: 52%

Jaipur: 51%

Leh: 30%

 

Spiritual tourism surges

 

Varanasi: 669%

Tirupati: 67%

Amritsar: 58%

Shirdi: 22%

 

Airfares followed a mixed trend. Some routes, such as Mumbai-Ho Chi Minh City, saw a 6% year-on-year increase for bookings made 30 days in advance, while Mumbai-Phuket registered a 47% rise. By contrast, Mumbai-London flights saw a 46% drop, and New Delhi-Ho Chi Minh City fares fell by 18%.

 

For domestic routes, the data revealed varying changes. Delhi-Hyderabad flights recorded a 17% increase in one-way fares, while Bengaluru-Lucknow and Pune-New Delhi routes saw smaller increases of around 3%. On the other hand, Chennai-Kolkata fares dropped by 34%, with a smaller decline of 3% on Kolkata-Hyderabad routes.

 

The one-way airfare data was calculated for departures between 24 December 2023 and 1 January 2024 compared to the same dates a year later.

 

Airfare trends: price hikes and decreases

 

Domestic flight fares saw varying changes during the period:

 

Price hikes

New Delhi to Srinagar: Rs 6,584 to Rs 7,782 (18% increase)

Mumbai to Dehradun: Rs 7,379 to Rs 8,308 (13% increase)

New Delhi to Hyderabad: Rs 5,732 to Rs 6,728 (17% increase)

Bengaluru to Jaipur: Rs 6,904 to Rs 7,642 (11% increase)

Mumbai to New Delhi: Rs 5,790 to Rs 6,307 (9% increase)

 

Price decreases

Bengaluru to New Delhi: Rs 8,015 to Rs 6,989 (13% decrease)

New Delhi to Kolkata: Rs 8,287 to Rs 5,811 (30% decrease)

Chennai to Kolkata: Rs 9,142 to Rs 5,991 (34% decrease)

Kolkata to Bengaluru: Rs 8,417 to Rs 6,005 (29% decrease)

Mumbai to Jaipur: Rs 7,730 to Rs 6,572 (15% decrease)

 

For international routes:

Price hikes

New Delhi to Bangkok: Rs 15,736 to Rs 23,732 (51% increase)

Mumbai to Bali: Rs 18,748 to Rs 27,697 (47% increase)

Mumbai to Singapore: Rs 24,506 to Rs 27,826 (14% increase)

 

Price decreases

New Delhi to London: Rs 37,059 to Rs 28,511 (23% decrease)

Mumbai to London: Rs 54,743 to Rs 29,545 (46% decrease)

Mumbai to Bangkok: Rs 23,945 to Rs 18,354 (23% decrease)