Festive season: Airfares, hotel, resort bookings set to rise for Dussehra, Diwali 

As the festive season of Diwali and Dussehra approaches, the travel industry is gearing up for a surge in demand. As this is the time people plan their annual trips, travel companies and airlines are bracing for a wave of bookings.

Airfares to go up substantially

Travel demand traditionally rises during festivals as families seek to reconnect and create memorable experiences together. This year, experts forecast an increase in airfares of around 15-20%, attributed to heightened demand, limited seat availability, and rising fuel costs.

Abhishek Gupta, Co-Founder and Director of Trip Navigator emphasised that this year’s price hikes will be more pronounced due to various economic factors, including inflation. "The festive season usually witnesses a surge in travel, and the post-pandemic recovery has intensified this trend," he noted.

Gupta advised travellers to adopt strategic booking approaches, such as planning their trips well in advance and being flexible with travel dates, to mitigate the impact of rising prices.

The upcoming festive season is also marked by a significant shift in consumer priorities. Anuj Rathi, Chief Business and Growth Officer at Cleartrip pointed out that travel has become a core part of festive celebrations as consumers increasingly value experiences over material purchases.

"With 120 million leisure travellers and 27 million outbound travellers, the demand for travel is stronger than ever,” he stated. Cleartrip has introduced attractive deals for its year-end travel sale, The Big Billion Days (TBBD), which runs from September 26 to October 4, offering customers substantial discounts on flights, hotels, and holiday packages.

What do the search trends suggest?

Search trends indicate that interest in both domestic and international travel is booming. Santosh Kumar, Country Manager for Booking.com, reported a remarkable increase in searches for popular destinations during Diwali, with Udaipur experiencing a 150% rise.

“This festive season, Indians are not only looking for leisure but also cultural and spiritual experiences,” he noted, citing a growing interest in destinations like Jaipur and Varanasi. Moreover, easy access to drivable locations like Ooty and Mahabaleshwar has also seen a notable uptick as travellers seek quick escapes from urban life.

Talking about the possible mini-vacation options, Kumar further talked about how Booking.com is seeing similar travel traction for international travel with closer-to-home destinations like Dubai, Bangkok, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.

"These destinations are witnessing a 50-100% increase in searches during the festive period. Streamlined visa processes, improved flight connections, and competitive travel packages are making international exploration more accessible than ever," he added. 

The resort rush  

In parallel, resorts and hotels are preparing for a busy season. Pardeep Siwach, Deputy General Manager at Mayfair Spring Valley Resort in Guwahati, shared that they are anticipating a 40-50% increase in occupancy rates during the festive period.

"We observe a marked increase in room occupancy demand as the holiday season draws nearer than on regular days. Occupancy rises by more than 30% in Guwahati in particular, mostly due to the region's festive mood. The stats at Mayfair Spring Valley are even more encouraging; we predict a 40–50% increase in occupancy as travellers look for both leisure and relaxation during this time," Siwach added about the expected rush this season.