Festival season sparks surge in travel to India

With the festive season kicking off with Ganesh Chaturthi, travel demand is at an all-time high from domestic as well as foreign travellers. Keeping in mind the high demand for destinations like Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Varanasi, Pushkar and Jaipur – airfares and hotel tariffs, which have already seen a spike, are expected to remain high throughout the season
 
In the last one year, the number of travellers visiting Varanasi to attend Diwali celebrations has increased significantly, says Sourabh Tiwari, director, Sushant Travels Pvt Ltd. This year also we have tourists coming from Korea, US and UK, who want to see Diwali celebrations in Varanasi.
 
The demand for travel for the festive season, and the World Cup fever has added to this. “Hotel tariffs are witnessing a surge of approximately 200-300% (as compared to last year), especially in leading match destinations – Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Kolkata, Lucknow. Surface transportation has emerged on the radar given improved infrastructure coupled with supply constraints resulting in increased airfares. We are also witnessing customers displaying increased interest in train journeys,” says Daniel D’Souza, president & country head – holidays, SOTC Travel.
 
We have witnessed a double-digit growth in demand compared to last year with strong trends for both leisure and city destinations. With the demand for differentiated experiences picking up significantly, consumers are now willing to spend on premium and luxury accommodations. We are optimistic that the upcoming festive season along with the high pent-up travel demand will propel further growth of the industry,” adds Zubin Saxena, managing director & area senior vice president, South Asia, Radisson Hotel Group.