Travel market uplifts as long holi weekend approaches

Travel market uplifts as long holi weekend approaches

New Delhi: The long holi weekend has got people planning about their 4 day holiday as Holi this year falls on a Thursday and Good Friday the next day.

Mansav Sethi, an IT professional, is very excited. For the father of two children, a long weekend with his family is always a bonanza.

According to travel experts, many Indians are travelling during the long weekend, from March 24 to Easter Sunday on March 27, within the country and abroad.

An increased demand for travelling places during the long weekend is witnessed, says Ranjeet Oak, Chief Business Officer-Holiday of MakeMyTrip.com, India's leading online travel company.

"We are witnessing an increased demand for Holi long weekend travel. So far, we have seen a 25-30 percent increase in bookings for different destinations and we expect a further increase in demand in the next week or so," Oak said.

Goa, Kashmir, Himalayan hill stations, Corbett National Park, Ooty, Udaipur and Puducherry remained the main attractions during vacations, he said.

"MakeMyTrip is offering a comprehensive product bouquet to cater to this demand for popular destinations like Kashmir, Himachal, Goa, North East, Rajasthan and Karnataka," he added.

Arti Vij, a housewife, feels that a short getaway during the long Holi holiday is the best way to unwind.

"It is not often that one gets such a long weekend. I feel this is the best time to holiday as the weather is also good," said Vij, who is planning a holiday in Manali.

She added that even her children, two daughters, are really excited about it and looking forward to a break.

"They are really studying hard for their exams and they will get over by March 15. The atmosphere at home is stressful for them as well as for us. The new session will begin from April and then they will get busy with their classes.

"So we all planned to go out of the city during this long weekend, which suits my husband too as he won't have to take leave from office," added Vij, whose husband is a government servant.

According to Sharat Dhall, President, Yatra.com, a lot of people are planning a quick getaway because it is one of the longest weekends this year.

"Yatra has seen a tremendous pick up in hotel bookings and packages for the four-day weekend from all the major cities. We are expecting hotels and packages bookings to increase by three-fold as we get closer to the weekend," said Dhall.

Besides Goa, Andaman & Nicobar Islands and other domestic locations, travelers are also opting for international destinations such as Dubai and Singapore for short getaway, he added.

Hari Nair, founder and CEO of Holiday IQ, feels that Indians are holidaying like never before and festival tourism had taken off in the country in a major way.

"Every possible occasion is now a reason to travel. Till a couple of years ago, festival celebrations were limited to family homes. Today, entire families travel together for the celebration," Nair said.

Nair said destinations like Gangtok and Darjeeling were also much in demand.(IANS)(Image courtesy: blog.travelogyindia.com)

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