From lush green landscapes to roaring waterfalls, this enchanting time of the year offers a unique charm that attracts globetrotters seeking a blend of nature’s beauty and adventure. The monsoon season was once considered a lean period for travel, but Indians are planning holidays in this season with gusto. In recent years, monsoon travel has gained significant popularity, with travellers increasingly seeking destinations that offer captivating experiences during this rainy season. These monsoon travel trends signify a notable shift in traveller preferences and destinations.
Here Are The Emerging Monsoon Travel Trends & Destinations
1. Off-Beat Destinations
There’s a shift towards offbeat destinations that showcase the raw beauty of nature. Popular travel aggregators like Thomas Cook India Limited and SOTC Travel reveal that places like Kashmir, Leh-Ladakh, Himachal, Uttarakhand, Goa, Andaman, Pondicherry, Coorg, Ooty, Munnar, Wayanad, Udaipur and the North-East remain the season’s top locales.
Whereas in terms of international travel, travel aggregator, ixigo shares short-haul destinations like Bangkok, Singapore, and Dubai stand out as the key choices. According to Kayak, Bali, London, Toronto and New York are equivalently popular.
2. Shorter Or Longer Trips?
The continuing hybrid work model has indeed opened up new opportunities for people to travel while maintaining their professional commitments. There is an uptick in short driveable holidays; weekend and extended weekend getaways from families, young professionals/millennials and couples, Thomas Cook points out. Booking data from ixigo reveals that the majority of travellers (41%) are looking at shorter trips this monsoon with a return time of 1-3 days indicating that short getaways are on the rise.
SOTC Travel points out that there is a 20% increase in demand as compared to last year for eclectic monsoon accommodations. Top favourites include staying in heritage bungalows, havelis or palaces, forts, farms or bamboo groves, tree houses or tea estates/coffee plantations.
However, Kayak brings to notice that the average hotel prices for both domestic and international hotels have increased by around 10% and 12% respectively. Yet, there has been an increase in hotel searches for destinations in India by around 4% and for hotels internationally by around 86% as holidaymakers plan to make the most of the monsoon.
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3. Embracing Adventure Souls
For adventure enthusiasts, monsoon presents a thrilling opportunity to indulge in various adrenaline-pumping activities. It allows travellers to push their boundaries while surrounded by stunning natural backdrops.
According to SOTC Travel, self-drive holidays and adventure activities like monsoon hiking or trekking (Uttarakhand’s Valley of Flowers, Ladakh’s Markha Valley, Kashmir Great Lakes), high adrenaline experiences with body surfing, bungee jumping, waterfall rappelling or trekking in Rishikesh and Lonavala; white water rafting in Ladakh, zip lining in Dawki, kayaking in Kerala, etc. are witnessing uptick for the season. Travel search engine, ixigo also points out that solo travel is also becoming more prevalent this monsoon.
4. How Are We Travelling?
Road trips are a popular choice during the monsoon season. Kayak points out that more Indians are looking to hire cars and explore on their own while on vacation. For domestic destinations, there is a considerable 103% increase in searches for rental cars, despite a 39% increase in prices on average since 2022.
However, when it comes to airfare, there are some interesting trends to witness as well. Rajeev Kale, President & Country Head of Thomas Cook (India) Limited tells, “Indians are quintessential value seekers and hence intent to maximise on low season discounts from airlines and hotels, together with special offers or complimentary add-on benefits”.
According to Kayak’s data, domestic flight searches have increased by around 32% whereas international flight searches have seen an increase of around 24% for the monsoon season. The increased travel interest is seen despite an average increase of 8% in domestic flight prices and an 11% increase in international flight prices.
“Majority of airlines also roll out monsoon sales offering big discounts on flights during the month of July so this is a good time for travellers to plan their trips in advance,” Aloke Bajpai, Co-founder & Group CEO, ixigo agrees.
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These monsoon travel trends have evolved to cater to the growing demand for unique experiences that blend nature’s beauty with adventure. All of the travel aggregators point out that there has been a 20-30% increase in queries for this season compared to last year. As the allure of monsoon travel continues to grow, embracing this season’s magic becomes an invitation to witness nature’s captivating transformation and embark on exhilarating escapades.
So, where are you heading to this monsoon?
Cover image credits: Canva