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The year 2018 would be known among travellers as one of the best as it had almost 15 long weekends, and Christmas week just around.
According to market experts there has been a year-on-year growth of 15 per cent to 20 per cent in the long-weekend category. There has also been an increase in self-drive holidays.
“The occupancy in leisure hotels undoubtedly shoots up during the long weekends. However, city hotels do not see much impact, which often generate revenue from Food and Beverages (F&B) segment around that time”, said Garish Oberoi, the immediate past president of the Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Association of India (FHRAI).
Also, the travellers — generally in Double Income No Kids (DINK) category — are now opting for high-end hotels during their stay. Earlier, it was best deal, but now it is best property, he added.
The online travel portal, BigBreaks.com, in 2017, had sold around 400 long weekends which included domestic and short-haul destinations such as Thailand, Dubai and Malaysia. This year the company has so far sold 1000 long-weekend packages.
Important factor
“Better connectivity and increase in the number of flights has resulted in more options for the travellers. Nearby countries are also coming up with various offers for Indians. For example, coming December there will be no visa-on-arrival fees for Indians travelling to Thailand,” said Kapil Goswamy, CMD, BigBreaks.com
Industry trackers also suggest those looking for weekend getaway don’t want to spend much time travelling, therefore, making distance an important factor for tourists while zeroing in on a destination.
“Close to 50 per cent of them, opt for holiday destinations which are around 150-200 km from the metros. For example, those from Mumbai would consider Alibaug, Lonavala, Khandala, Nashik. Similarly, those from Chennai would choose Mahabalipuram, Pondicherry, Kadalur, Tirupati,” said Peter Kerkar, Group CEO, Cox & Kings Ltd.
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