Reports indicate an increasing demand for travel during the upcoming festive season and Skift has reached out to travel service companies to understand the trends in festive season travel. Booking.com has observed a rise in searches for both domestic and international destinations, particularly for the Eid-e-Milad extended weekend in September. Popular hill stations like Lonavala, Ooty, and Kodaikanal are seeing an increase in searches, with Mussoorie experiencing a 120% growth. Indian travelers are also exploring spiritual destinations like Varanasi, Rishikesh, and Puri during this time. International destinations like London, Dubai, Singapore, Paris, and Baku remain top choices for Indian travelers seeking weekend getaways.
Thomas Cook has noted significant demand for upcoming festive seasons like Dusshera holidays and Diwali, with travelers booking 60-90 days in advance to avail of lower pricing and special discounts. Airfares to destinations like Bagdogra, Andamans, Jaipur, Udaipur, and Goa have seen a drop, although last-minute bookings may experience a growth in fares. The company has also introduced festive tours for Durga Puja, Dusshera, and Diwali, noting that Indians are opting for longer stays during festival vacations, with a 10-15% increase in spending compared to previous years.
The Indian civil aviation ministry is monitoring airfares to ensure they remain reasonable during the festive season. Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu stated that the government is in contact with airport operators to prevent any exploitation of increased demand. While no unreasonable fare surges have been observed yet, the ministry is prepared to take appropriate actions if necessary. However, the government does not regulate airfares due to the sector’s deregulation in 1994. Airlines have committed to self-regulate and ensure that airfares do not surge, especially during peak periods and festivals.
DigiYatra, India’s digital initiative for airport check-ins, has expanded its services to nine new airports, bringing the total to 24 airports. The aim is to expand this initiative to every Indian airport in the coming years. DigiYatra uses facial recognition for quicker processing of passengers at different points in the airport but is currently limited to domestic travelers. The initiative is working on expanding to include international travel and start prototype testing on e-passport enrollment. IndiGo has partnered with BookMyShow for the ‘Runway to Party’ campaign, offering discounts on flights for music festival attendees. Fintech platform Niyo has introduced an outward remittance service for Indian students abroad, aiming to grab a market share of 50% in the segment by 2025-26.
Air India has launched a cityside check-in and baggage drop facility at the Hyderabad airport, allowing passengers to check-in and drop their bags as early as six hours before departure. This facility is currently available only to domestic passengers. European intercity bus service FlixBus has partnered with AbhiBus to offer FlixBus tickets on the AbhiBus platform. FlixBus recently entered the Indian market and is expanding into smaller cities in the southern region through partnerships.
