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New Year is a time of new beginnings, which inspires many people to travel and refresh for the journey ahead. While hill stations are seeing a surge in bookings as usual, this year too there is a growing interest in coastal resorts and spiritual retreats, as travelers seek both relaxation and blessings to start afresh.
“As 2024 comes to an end, we are seeing an increase in New Year travel plans. Indians are increasingly looking to venture out and explore beyond the ordinary. Popular cultural hotspots like Udaipur and Jaipur are experiencing a surge in searches. Similarly, demand has increased from hill stations like Manali, Munnar and Ooty, followed by coastal towns of Puducherry and Goa. Highlighting the constant desire for spiritual experiences, Varanasi is one of the top ten most searched destinations this winter season. “There has been a 40-100% increase in total home searches compared to the same period last year,” says Santosh Kumar, country manager, Booking.com.
According to Anuj Rathi, Chief Business and Development Officer, Cleartrip, “The top domestic destinations for year-end travel among travelers include Udaipur, Jaipur, Varanasi, Manali, Amritsar, Ooty, Munnar, Mussoorie and Pondicherry. Port Blair has also emerged as a new preferred destination.”
There has been a significant increase in hotel prices in Manali (3.7x), Amritsar (2.6x), Pondicherry (2.2x), Varanasi (2.2x), and Mussoorie (2.1x) compared to the same period last year. On the other hand, airfares to Port Blair (1.4x), Mussoorie (1.3x), Udaipur (1.1x), Varanasi (1.1x), and Jaipur and Manali (1x) have also increased compared to the last year-end period . ,
“Gen Z travelers, in particular, travel more towards the end of the year, increasing their total travel costs by 20%. Most of the year-end bookings were made by travelers in the age group of 15 to 34 years,” says Rathi.
Zostel has seen a surge in interest for both popular and offbeat destinations this new year, with travelers turning to vibrant South Indian hotspots like Goa, Kerala and Pondicherry, as well as exciting international destinations like Hanoi, Bali and Spiti. “From vibrant parties and events in Vietnam to a peaceful winter break in the Himalayas, our properties in India, Nepal are the perfect fit for those seeking adventure, community and meaningful travel,” says Dharamveer Singh Chauhan, co-founder and CEO.
Favorite International Destination
Interestingly, South East Asia, Europe and the Middle East are emerging as the top choices for international travel among Indians. “While Dubai, Singapore and Bangkok remain the top three most popular international destinations, we are seeing an increase in searches for destinations such as Baku (150%), Kuala Lumpur (130%), Muscat (150%), Lapland (125%) . ), Danang (60%) and Tbilisi (60%) during this time,” says Kumar from Booking.com.
The increased flights to Kuala Lumpur as well as the introduction of new direct flights to Langkawi and Penang have led to a 2.3-fold increase in bookings to Kuala Lumpur for year-end travel. However, bookings for the Maldives have declined by 54% compared to last year.
International Travel Plans
Interestingly, South East Asia, Europe and the Middle East are emerging as the top choices for international travel among Indians. While Dubai, Singapore and Bangkok remain the top three most popular international destinations, we are seeing an increase in searches for destinations such as Baku (150%), Kuala Lumpur (130%), Muscat (150%), Lapland (125%). , meanwhile Danang (60%) and Tbilisi (60%).
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