With Independence Day and Raksha Bandhan just a few days apart with a weekend in between, Indian travelers are looking to use this opportunity to vacation. Online travel agency Agoda has witnessed an increase of over 260% in travel searches from Indians compared to the same period last year. 

A report by online travel agency MakeMyTrip earlier this year showed that last year, the number of Indians taking more than three trips a year increased by 25% as compared to 2019. It also said that in the domestic hotels category, weekend getaways have seen the highest growth. 

We spoke to some travel industry players to understand how Indians are traveling for this 5-day vacation:

According to Cleartrip, bookings are reflecting a strong desire among travelers. Popular domestic destinations like Goa, Udaipur, Pondicherry, and Munnar top the list based on hotel reservations, with Goa, Ladakh, and Kashmir being the favorite picks for air travel, it said.

Cleartrip data shows that international getaways are also in high demand, with Malaysia, Singapore, Bali, and Thailand attracting significant interest despite the higher average airfares, such as INR 18,500 ($220) for Bali and INR 9,200 ($110) for Singapore.

So far, over 15,000 air bookings have been made for the long weekend, marking a 37% increase compared to a typical weekend, the OTA said. 

Aloke Bajpai, chairman, managing director and group CEO, Ixigo: “We have observed a 40-50% year-over-year increase in flight bookings for travel between August 14-20,” said Bajpai.

Domestic destinations like Dehradun, Mumbai, and Goa have seen an average of 40-45% year-on-year growth in bookings and searches, while average fares for the upcoming weekend are trending 25-30% higher.

There is also a surge in spiritual travel, with Varanasi and Amritsar seeing and 84% and 81% increase in flight bookings, respectively.

“International travel is rising, driven by visa-free entries and affordable fares. Popular spots like Bali, Thailand, Kuwait, and Singapore have seen a 60-70% increase in bookings, while new trending short-haul destinations like Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Vietnam are emerging as favored picks among Indian travelers,” he added.

Devendra Parulekar, founder of SaffronStays: Private vacation homes managed by SaffronStays are witnessing the booking rush for properties in Maharashtra as people are keen to escape the heat and enjoy the cool, refreshing climate these locations offer. The easy accessibility of destinations like Lonavala, Alibaug, and Karjat are expected to witness maximum bookings, according to homestay aggregator SaffronStays. 

“Compared to last year, we are expecting a 25% increase in bookings during the Independence Day weekend. The current trend indicates a higher demand, driven by the pent-up desire for travel and the allure of monsoon destinations,” said the founder. 

Krishna Rathi, Senior Country Director, India Subcontinent and Maldives, Agoda: “Long weekends offer the perfect opportunity for a rejuvenating break, away from the daily hustle and bustle. It is not surprising to see so many destinations in the top ranks that offer just that: relaxation,” said Rathi. 

The platform is witnessing a surge in demand for Goa, Lonavala, Udaipur, Wayanad, and Coorg in domestic destinations. Internationally, Bali and Thailand are the most preferred locations for the long weekend. 

IHCL Enters Kingdom of Bahrain

Indian Hotels Company (IHCL) has become the first hospitality chain from India to enter the Kingdom of Bahrain. The company has signed a Taj-branded luxury hotel and a Taj-branded boutique resort in the country. 

With this, the company has a total of seven hotels in its portfolio in the Middle East, including four under development. Collectively, these properties will add over 450 keys to IHCL’s inventory.

IHCL will now operate in 13 countries. The company has been expanding its presence rapidly, and reached its goal of 300 properties in its portfolio two years ahead of schedule. It has also brought back its Gateway brand, and has entered into branded residences market as part of its growth strategy. 

Etihad Airways Launches Website in Hindi

The United Arab Emirates’ Etihad Airways has launched a Hindi-language website for Indian travelers, becoming the first non-Indian airline to do so. Hindi-speaking Indian travelers have the option to use this website to book tickets, web check in, and contact customer support. 

In line with carriers from both India and the Middle East, Etihad is also boosting its connectivity in India. It recently commenced flights between Abu Dhabi and Jaipur, and in January, began its operations in Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram. 

As part of its offerings to Indian travelers, the airline also offers Indian travelers going to the U.S. via Etihad to clear immigration at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection facility in Abu Dhabi itself. 

Hilton’s New Initiative for Indian Weddings

Hilton has relaunched a reimagined version of its Wedding Diaries initiative in India. As part of this, the company has introduced ‘Wedding Ambassador’ – an expert who will coordinate between the hotel and the family to offer personalized services. 

Skift earlier reported that during the 2023-24 wedding season, a revenue of about $75 billion was generated from weddings in India. Between November 23 and December 15, 2023, about 3.5 million couples tied the knot in India leading to spending that totaled around INR 4.25 trillion ($57 billion). 

India is also ramping up its promotion as a wedding destination, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for Indians to ‘Wed in India’ to help boost the Indian economy. 

IndiGo Commences Direct Flights to Jaffna

Budget airline IndiGo has announced direct flights between Chennai and Jaffna in Sri Lanka. The daily flights will commence on September 1, and will mark the airline’s second destination in Sri Lanka after Colombo. 

This marks IndiGo’s 34th international destination. 

India remains Sri Lanka’s top source market, contributing around 19% of total tourist arrivals. From January to July 7, 198,161 Indian tourists visited Sri Lanka, my colleague Peden Doma Bhutia reported earlier.