 "Indian Hotels")
As March draws to a close, two consecutive long weekend opportunities – Holi and Good Friday – are driving up hotel occupancy and airfares across major routes.
According to travel platform Cleartrip, hotel bookings have seen a 3.5 times spike for the Holi weekend, while a 3.7 times spike has been visible in the Good Friday weekend.
“Most people are opting for a two-night stay, with budget hotels having the largest share of bookings,” said Prahlad Krishnamurthi, chief business officer, Cleartrip.
The Indian tourism industry is witnessing a sustained boom on the back of what industry stakeholders call a mindset shift, where people are using every opportunity to travel.
This has been further accelerated by improved connectivity, increasing disposable incomes, and rising aspirations.
According to Yatra Online, people are heading to explore leisure destinations like Goa, Jaipur, Pondicherry, Ooty, Srinagar, Mahabaleshwar, Corbett, and Wayanad, with business hotspots also witnessing increased activity.
“There is a significant surge in hotel bookings, which is up by 30-35 per cent, with the average room rates also going up by 18-22 per cent,” said Sabina Chopra, co-founder and COO, Yatra Online.
According to vacation rental company Airbnb, south Goa has emerged as the country’s most popular getaway for the Good Friday/ Easter long weekend, with a nearly 330 per cent increase in searches.
At Caravela Beach Resort, Goa bookings have shot up for both the upcoming long weekends.
“Indian tourists continue to capitalise on opportunities to plan short vacations throughout the year. We are experiencing a surge in enquiries, with 90 per cent confirmed bookings and 12 per cent growth in total revenue per room for the upcoming long weekends when compared to the same time last year,” said Sourav Panchanan, general manager at the property.
“The serene beaches of south Goa continue to captivate the imagination of travellers and our occupancy continues to be robust. On average, guests booked for four nights during the upcoming long weekends and two to three nights during the week,” he added.
Airfares, meanwhile, have risen in the range of 20-80 per cent for the Holi weekend.
According to data from Ixigo, a Delhi-Mumbai one-way flight, booked 48 hours in advance, is costing around Rs 6,400 for the Holi weekend.
The same flight when booked 15 days in advance would cost a traveller Rs 5,200. On the Delhi-Goa route, a one-way flight is costing Rs 10,934 for the same weekend, while it would have cost Rs 6,096 when booked 15 days in advance.
For the Good Friday long weekend too, fares have risen in the range of 15-80 per cent.
The Mumbai-Srinagar route saw the highest rise of 78 per cent. A one-way Mumbai-Srinagar flight, booked eight days in advance, is costing Rs 18,288. The same flight, when booked 15 days in advance would cost a traveller Rs 10,240.
On the international front, Athens leads the way with an approximately 400 per cent spike in searches, earning its place at the top of the wish list for Indian explorers, closely followed by Istanbul, Bangkok, and Rome, said Airbnb.
“Indian travellers are increasingly seeking unique and memorable experiences, moving beyond traditional holiday seasons to embrace every opportunity for exploration,” said Amanpreet Bajaj, general manager at Airbnb India, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.
