Holi and Good Friday long weekends prompt increased travel across India.
There is a surge in travel bookings for the upcoming long weekends of Holi and Good Friday in India. People are planning short vacations and weekend getaways, according to Forbes India.
The upcoming consecutive long weekends on March 23rd-25th, including Holi on March 25th, offer a perfect 3-day period for a getaway. Following that, the long weekend spanning from Good Friday on March 29th to the weekend on March 30th-31st provides another ideal opportunity for a memorable trip.
As per Forbes, online travel platforms are witnessing a significant increase in bookings, with some reporting a five-fold increase. Domestic flight bookings are up 16% compared to the festive period in 2023. Flight fares for popular routes have also increased by 25-30% in the last week of March.
This travel surge is not just from metros and mini-metros but also from Tier II and III cities. People are interested in all-inclusive holidays and drives.
70% of travel bookings are for domestic destinations, with Goa, Srinagar, Guwahati, and Port Blair being popular choices. Udaipur, Jaipur, Puri, and Varanasi are also emerging as popular destinations.
There is a 30% increase in interest in outdoor and adventure travel such as biking trips, camping, trekking, and safaris. Adventure travel is seeing a surge in interest, particularly for unique experiences such as camel races and Lathmar Holi. Cultural experiences in places like Jaipur and Anandpur Sahib are also popular.
International travel is also expected to pick up during the summer months. There has been a notable surge in travel searches for visa-free destinations. Countries such as Iran, Malaysia, Kenya, and Thailand have experienced up to a 100% increase in travel searches since implementing visa-free policies. Easy visa regimes for Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, and other countries are also fueling demand.
Travel companies are expecting a strong demand for summer travel and are advising people to book tickets in advance. However, there is a tempered outlook on capacity expansion, so flight fares are expected to increase by up to 10% for the April-June period compared to last year. International flight fares are expected to remain moderate, and booking trends indicate a 50% growth compared to last year.
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