“Indian travellers are increasingly making the most of every opportunity for leisure travel, and the upcoming Holi long weekend offers the perfect chance. The demand for premium accommodations remains robust, with the share of bookings for properties priced above Rs 4,500 per night increasing compared to last year,” said Rajesh Magow, co-founder and Group CEO of MakeMyTrip.
Bookings for stays in cultural hotspots like Jaipur and Udaipur, temple towns such as Amritsar, Varanasi, Ujjain, and Madurai, and beach destinations like Pondicherry, Alibaug, and Mandarmani are showing steady growth, he said, referencing data from the travel portal.
Also read | Over 2.35 crore tourists visited Jammu and Kashmir in 2024; govt is now promoting Srinagar
According to MakeMyTrip’s data, drive-cation spots such as Jim Corbett, Rishikesh, Mussoorie, Mahabaleshwar, and Coorg are also seeing significant demand.
“On the international front, we are witnessing the highest growth in short-haul destinations like Vietnam, Malaysia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. This rise in short-haul travel can partly be attributed to the conclusion of board exams in many parts of India,” he added.
Meanwhile, Rajnish Kumar, co-CEO of Ixigo Group, stated that this Holi season has seen a 45-50 per cent year-on-year increase in flight bookings, driven by a mix of homebound trips, leisure getaways, and spiritual tourism.
Also read | 12 beaches with Blue Flag recognition you must visit in India
“Cultural destinations are experiencing a notable surge this Holi. Flight bookings to Ayodhya have risen by 50 per cent YoY for Holi, while Varanasi and Amritsar have seen a 20-30 per cent YoY increase. Tier II and III cities are also witnessing a rise in flight bookings for the Holi weekend, with Gorakhpur seeing the highest increase at 154 per cent year-on-year,” he said, quoting data from the Ixigo platform.
With airlines offering attractive discounts, Kumar pointed out that it’s an excellent opportunity for travellers to book trips at affordable fares.
Travellers are also taking advantage of the Holi long weekend to visit short-haul international destinations, such as Abu Dhabi, which has seen a 146 per cent YoY increase, followed by Bangkok and Singapore with rises of 38 per cent and 40 per cent, respectively.
“Among domestic leisure destinations, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands have emerged as the top choice for travellers this Holi,” Kumar added.
