Hotels booked out, airfares surge as I-Day long weekend approaches
The upcoming long weekend is proving to be a busy one for hoteliers across the country. The occupancy rates in hotels across the country have risen. This has had a cascading effect on room rates across destinations.
“Extended weekends are propelling travel desire and we are seeing a 2.5x surge in demand vs last year for the upcoming long weekend. Occupancy continues to be at 80-100 per cent for premium hotels with an average 20-30 per cent surge in room rates across destinations,” said Indiver Rastogi, president and group head, global business travel, Thomas Cook (India) and SOTC Travel.
With Independence Day falling on a Tuesday, people are planning to take a leave on Monday (August 14) for a four-day break from Saturday through Tuesday.
“As the extended weekend of August 12-15 draws close, we are experiencing a surge in enquiries and bookings. Among the preferred leisure destinations, the tranquil hills and serene beaches have captured the imagination of travelers for a quick getaway and a rejuvenating staycation,” said a spokesperson for ITC Hotels.
The group has seen a rise in bookings at its properties in Goa, Jim Corbett and Shimla, and Storii Amoha Retreat in Himachal Pradesh.
The Varawal Leopard Camp in Jawai was sold-out for this weekend a month ago. “We have a total of 170 gypsies in the area, of which 120 were booked a month ago for the evening safari,” says Pushpendra Singh Ranawat, owner of the camp.
“We have seen bookings from people hailing from Mumbai, Delhi, Gujarat, Bengaluru, and Chennai. To make the experience more worthwhile, we have also identified exclusive tracks for our guests, where we have found hyena and fox families,” added Ranawat.
Room rates at the camp have risen from Rs 12,000 a night to Rs 15,000 a night for the weekend.
Air fares too have seen a surge for this weekend. Fares booked 48 hours in advance for travel have gone up by 15-20 per cent, according to ixigo. A Mumbai-Jaipur one-way flight is costing around Rs 7,400 for August 11 and 12. The same flight when booked a week or two in advance would cost a traveller Rs 5490. Spot fares for Bengaluru-Mumbai for August 11 and 12 have also gone up by more than 100 per cent.
“Bookings for the Independence Day long weekend this year have shot up 10-15 per cent as compared to last year. Due to high travel demand, spot fares for flights from Bengaluru, Mumbai and Delhi to Goa, Jaipur and Kochi have gone up. However, average fares booked in advance for majority of the routes this year are lower than last year,” said Aloke Bajpai, group CEO and co-founder, ixigo.
Short-haul destinations like Dubai, Bangkok, Singapore, Maldives, and Bali are some popular international picks for travellers this year. Meanwhile, the top five domestic destinations booked for travel for the Independence Day weekend are New Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Kolkata.
“Taj Mahal, New Delhi is preparing for high occupancy right through August, especially over the upcoming Independence day weekend. The occupancy and business, across segments of guests, is higher than last year,” said a spokesperson for the hotel.
“With special offers such as Rediscover Reimagined Taj Mahal, New Delhi and our reimagined and distinctly transformed suites, luxury residences, and culinary dining destinations, we are expecting a full house over the next 5-7days,” they added.
“The trend of Indian travellers capitalising on opportunities to plan short trips throughout the year continues. For the Independence Day weekend this year, we have seen a 30 per cent uptick in individuals booking flights within seven days of the scheduled departure as compared to the same weekend in 2022, said Rajesh Magow, co-founder and group CEO, MakeMyTrip.
“This is further bolstered by a 22 per cent increase in bookings for premium and luxury properties for the duration compared to the same period last year. This also points to the propensity towards rest and relaxation as the primary trigger for the upcoming weekend,” Magow added.