The upcoming Dussehra weekend, from October 1 to October 5, is set to see a surge in travel. Data now reveals that travellers are increasingly opting for extended festive breaks, short-haul international trips, premium stays, and culturally rich destinations for this long weekend. Here’s more on this.
Insights Reveal Dussehra Travel Surge This Long Weekend
Dussehra is here, and so is the chance of enjoying a trip during this long weekend. As the festive season approaches, ixigo, the online travel platform, has seen a surge in travel demand with flight bookings for the Dussehra week recording significant double-digit growth across both domestic and international routes.
According to Aloke Bajpai, Group CEO, ixigo, travellers normally plan a four-day long weekend, but this year, many of them are opting for additional leaves before and after Dussehra. This allows them to turn the break into a proper five to seven-day extended holiday. This shift is driving a sharp rise in leisure travel, with metro cities like Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Kolkata showing over 100% year-on-year growth in flight bookings. Port Blair, Dehradun, and Goa are among the top picks for longer getaways for this upcoming Dussehra weekend.
Short-Haul International Trips On The Rise
As per ixigo’s insights, short-haul international destinations like Bali, Thailand, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam are in high demand. Airfares from key metros to domestic routes such as Lucknow, Goa, Jaipur, Chennai, and Kolkata have also increased by an average of 15-20% year on year. Hotel booking trends also show a growing preference for premium stays. About 37% of travellers are opting for properties above ₹7,000 per night for this festive break.
Dinesh Kumar Kotha, CEO of ixigo Trains and Confirmtkt, stated that the platform is also seeing a sharp rise in train searches and bookings for Dussehra in the first week of October. Waitlists are filling up quickly on popular routes. Spiritual destinations are attracting a large number of tourists, as well. Tirupati is seeing over 80% year-on-year growth in bookings, while Vijayawada is recording a surge due to the 11-day Dasara festivities at the Sri Kanaka Durga Temple.
Bus bookings are also surging to metro and regional hubs for last-mile connectivity. Many Indians are travelling back home to reunite with their families this festive season. Vijayawada, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Kolkata are among the top destinations for bus travel.
The festive season has kicked off, and everyone seems to be planning their holidays. Are you heading anywhere this month or next? Do let us know!
Cover Image Courtesy: Tirupati, Wikipedia/ Nikhil B
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