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Driven by their love for travelling, Indians are always excited for weekend getaways. For the upcoming long weekend (August 15 to 19), travel websites have shared data for the most preferred destinations. The rise in data shows that people are travelling more than ever before.
According to data from Skyscanner, bookings (redirects) for travel on August 14 have increased significantly by 72% compared to the previous day. Booking volumes for August 14 and 15 are the highest for the week, indicating a strong desire to make the most of the holidays.
Mohit Joshi, Travel and Destination Expert at Skyscanner, says, “The top international destinations attracting the attention of Indian travellers include Toronto, Bali, New York and London. Domestically, New Delhi, Marmagao and Mumbai are the most preferred destinations. The biggest jump in travel searches between August 14 and 20 was seen a month ago (week of July 22), indicating that Indians are careful planners.”
Domestic searches on Airbnb have increased by almost 340% year-on-year. This reflects the growing excitement among travellers for the upcoming Independence Day and Raksha Bandhan long weekend. Goa, Lonavala, Puducherry, Mumbai and Udaipur have emerged as the most searched destinations for domestic destinations.
Amanpreet Bajaj, General Manager, Airbnb for India, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan, said, “This data underlines the growing trend among Indian travellers to explore domestic destinations during short holidays and long weekends, as they are easily accessible.”
Santosh Kumar, Country Manager, India, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Indonesia at Booking.com, said, “This year’s travel trends data shows that there is a growing interest in short vacations, with 65% of Indian travellers looking for short domestic trips and almost half (44%) of travellers interested in short international trips, both within the 4-night framework. The surge in searches for both domestic and short-haul destinations during the August long weekends reflects this trend. While popular tourist hotspots continue to remain attractive, we are also seeing growing interest in certain destinations such as Hampi, Madikeri, Ujjain and Gokarna.”
With the monsoon season increasing the allure of travel, long weekends are proving to be the perfect opportunity for travellers to grab a quick getaway and for the industry to take advantage of the increased demand. Radisson Hotel Group has seen a nearly 20% increase in demand for resorts and hotels compared to last year, and expects this trend to accelerate even further. “Destinations such as Udaipur, Jaipur and Agra, as well as Kumbhalgarh, Saputara, Pondicherry and Mahabalipuram, are witnessing the highest footfall of travellers. Guests are preferring a mix of luxury and mid-segment accommodations for their 3-5 day stay, enjoying both hotel activities and local attractions. Additionally, our guests are willing to spend 20% more than in previous years on hotels that offer exceptional experiences and good value. This growth in bookings across our portfolio is promising, and we expect this momentum to continue,” says Nikhil Sharma, Managing Director and Regional Senior Vice President, South Asia, Radisson Hotel Group.
In line with this, Marriott Bonvoy has introduced its limited-time ‘Resort Escapes’ offer, offering value-added, budget-friendly benefits to travellers ahead of the holiday season. Across over 20 exotic destinations from Dehradun to Goa, Jaisalmer to Shillong, travellers can enjoy daily hotel credit of up to Rs 2,000 per stay, free buffet breakfast, a bucket of beer or a bottle of wine, 20% off on spa treatments and 50% savings for children below 12 years of age.
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