October 2 long weekend records over 40% surge in flight searches, hotel occupancy at 90%

October 2 long weekend records over 40% surge in flight searches, hotel occupancy at 90%

The upcoming Gandhi Jayanti holiday on October 2nd, which conveniently falls on a Monday, is creating an extended weekend opportunity for travelers. As a result, flight searches have surged by more than 40 percent, indicating a strong desire among people to plan trips.

According to Aloke Bajpai, Co-founder & Group CEO of ixigo, an online travel platform, many travelers are eyeing a four to five-day long family holiday during this time. This 44 percent week-on-week increase in flight searches suggests a growing interest in travel, which is likely to extend into the festive months of October and November.

Rikant Pittie, Co-founder of EaseMyTrip, also noted that besides the World Cup, the presence of long weekends and festivals in October, such as Gandhi Jayanti and Durga Puja, is further fueling the rise in travel. These occasions provide travelers with additional incentives to explore new destinations and spend quality time with their families. The travel and tourism industry is poised to benefit from these factors as they continue to drive the demand for travel experiences.

In addition to the excitement around the Gandhi Jayanti long weekend, there is also a notable surge in travel interest for the upcoming Durga Puja and Dussehra long weekend. According to Rikant Pittie, Co-founder of EaseMyTrip, this year has seen twice as many flight searches for Kolkata during this festive period. Travelers are predominantly coming from cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Assam, and Orissa to celebrate these festivals.

Pittie also mentioned that the October 2nd long weekend has driven increased travel from Delhi to popular destinations like Mumbai, Goa, Rajasthan, and Himachal Pradesh. Notably, travel searches during Gandhi Jayanti have witnessed a significant uptick for routes such as Delhi-Mumbai, Delhi-Himachal, Delhi-Goa, and Delhi-Rajasthan. This trend showcases the strong desire of travelers to explore various parts of the country during these extended weekends and festive seasons.

As the upcoming weekend approaches, popular destination picks include Goa, Jaipur, Varanasi, Pune, Coorg, Dubai, Singapore, and the Maldives, as noted by Aloke Bajpai. These destinations cater to a wide range of travel preferences, from cultural experiences to beach getaways and international adventures.

Sripad Vaidya, Co-founder of Confirmtkt, a travel ticket search engine, highlights a 15 percent boost in spiritual retreats. Places like Tirupathi, Varanasi, Puri, and Mathura are seeing increased interest, indicating a shift away from bustling cities toward the charm of smaller towns.

Beach destinations are also drawing high traction among travelers. Rohit Sharma, COO of AbhiBus, an online bus booking service, mentions that beach enthusiasts are flocking to Pondicherry, Goa, Kanyakumari, and Calicut after the monsoon season, with booking surges approximately twice as high as the previous month.

Furthermore, with Himachal Pradesh reopening for tourism, Shimla and Manali are experiencing a significant increase in advance bookings, two to three times higher compared to the previous month. This signifies a strong desire among travelers to explore the scenic beauty and tranquility of these hill stations.

The October 2nd long weekend is also witnessing a surge in hotel room bookings, especially in leisure and tourist destinations. Sudeep Jain, Managing Director of SWA, IHG Hotels and Resorts, notes an uptrend in demand for destinations such as Goa, Jaipur, Bangalore, Chennai, Kerala, and Agra. These places are experiencing average occupancy rates ranging from 80 to 90 percent, which represents a 15 percent increase compared to the previous year. Additionally, the Revenue Per Available Room (RevPar) during this holiday period has grown by 30 percent in leisure destinations, while city hotels are showing a relatively stable demand.

Furthermore, compared to the previous fiscal year (FY23), there is a significant surge in bookings, indicating a strong rebound in the hotel industry.

According to the brokerage firm ICRA, pan-India premium hotel occupancy is expected to be at 70-72 percent in FY24, up from 68-70 percent in FY23. They estimate that premium hotel average room rates (ARRs) will be in the range of Rs 6,000-6,200 in FY24.

The firm also anticipates continued strong demand recovery in FY24, driven by domestic leisure travel, increased bookings for meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE), business travel, and an uptick in foreign tourist arrivals (FTAs). These factors collectively support the positive outlook for the hotel industry.