Festive season boosts travel demand, flight bookings see 40-50% YoY increase in mid-August

Indian tourists are all geared up for their vacations as festivals like Rakshabandhan and Krishna Janmashtami and long weekends line up during mid-August.

Aloke Bajpai, Chairman, Managing Director & Group CEO, ixigo revealed that there has been a 40-50% year-over-year increase in flight bookings for travel between August 14-20.

In terms of domestic destinations, Dehradun, Mumbai, and Goa have seen an average 40-45% YoY growth in bookings and searches, as per ixigo data.

Dehradun has witnessed a 69% YoY increase in flight bookings between 14-20 August, followed by Delhi (60%), Kolkata (58%), Bengaluru (33%), and Hyderabad (29%).

With the surge in demand, the average fares for the upcoming weekends are trending between 25 and 30% higher.

As per the the travel platform data, Mumbai to Goa flight fares have surged by 51% to Rs 4,452 from Rs 2,945 between August 14-20. The air fares from Delhi to Goa have shot up by 37% to Rs 6,641 in August 2024 as compared to Rs 4,840 in 2023.

Besides, flight ticket prices from Bengaluru to Kochi have increased by 46% to Rs 3,446 in the same period.

'Spiritual vacation'

Notably, spiritual travel has also evoked tourists interest. According to the ixigo chairman, Varanasi and Amritsar have witnessed 84% and 81% YoY increase in flight bookings, respectively. On the other hand, Visakhapatnam and Tirupati airfares have increased by 18% and 16% YoY, respectively.

'International trip on cards'

Interest in international travel has also peaked during mid-August driven by visa-free entries and affordable fares.

Bajpai said, "Bali, Thailand, Kuwait, and Singapore have seen a 60-70% YoY increase in bookings, while new trending short haul destinations like Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Vietnam are emerging as favoured picks among Indian travelers".