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Three-quarters of urban Indians are planning to travel this festive season (between September and December), with millennials leading the trend at 80%, followed by GenZ at 70%, a survey conducted by YouGov revealed.

72% of the surveyed individuals are planning domestic travel while one in ten (9%) are leaning towards international destinations. As many as 19% are considering both domestic and international options, the survey added.

For domestic travel, Goa topped the list at 35%, followed by Kerala at 26% and Himachal Pradesh at 24%. Internationally, the Middle East stood as the most popular choice at 46%, followed by Europe (35%) and Southeast Asia (34%).

Half of those planning trips have identified potential destinations but have not yet booked (51%), while 32% have already made their arrangements.

Most individuals have expressed a preference for shorter vacations during this period, with 47% planning to travel for a week and 34% opting for long weekends of up to three days. About a fifth (19%) are looking at vacations lasting up to two weeks or more.

The surveyed individuals' most preferred platform for booking tickets and hotels was MakeMyTrip, favored by almost 50% of urban Indians. Booking.com stood as the second most popular platform for both flights (25%) and hotels (27%). While EaseMyTrip was the next most popular choice for booking flights, Goibibo was a preferred option for hotels.

According to the report, one in five also consider festive deals on flights and hotels a good reason to travel during this time (19%).

Despite the reliance on booking platforms, 55% of urban Indians have shown preference to make their own bookings. 30% opt for bundled packages through online travel agencies, while 17% use traditional travel agents.

Long weekends are expected to significantly influence travel plans for the upcoming festive season, with 27% of urban Indians considering the extended holidays from September to December as an ideal travel window.

72% of urban Indians planning domestic travel during festive season; Goa tops list: Survey

Travel agency platform Thomas Cook India is leveraging Artificial Intelligence, spiritual tourism, and tier-2 cities to scale up its business. According to Executive Chairman Madhavan Menon, "the group has and continues to invest significantly in AI-powered platforms, systems, and solutions to enhance the customer experience". The travel firm will achieve it through product and service innovation, and leveraging technology, he added.

Last week, the travel services company announced the launch of an AI-powered platform through which customers can customize their holidays. 

Additionally, Thomas Cook India has promised to 'redefine spiritual tourism' in the country by unveiling hidden gems or sacred sites and ensuring their accessibility. Thomas Cook and its subsidiary SOTC’s data have indicated an increased demand of 100% Y-o-Y for spiritual tourism.

Notably, spiritual tourism has witnessed a boom in India and makes up 60% of the country's domestic tourism. The industry is estimated to grow at a compounded annual rate of 16.2% and is likely to reach $4.6 billion in size by 2033, the Mumbai-headquartered company added.

The company has also intended to expand its offerings in tier-2 and tier-3 cities due to a surge in domestic tourism. Menon said in the calendar year 2024, they have opened five resorts and are planning to open 8-10 resorts during the rest of the year. The company will focus on "Expanding the sales and distribution footprint across the country to cover more than 5,000 partners, covering Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities", he added. Thomas Cook expanded its foreign exchange business in Tier-2 and 3 cities by opening seven outlets in the current calendar year, according to Mahesh Iyer, Executive Director at Thomas Cook.

Thomas Cook India's net profit was marginally up to Rs 73 crore in the first quarter of FY2025 from Rs 71 crore in the same period last year. The company's standalone total income stood at Rs 788.7 crore for the quarter, up from Rs 766.28 crore in Q1 FY2024. The company's advertisement expenses have increased by 92% to Rs 27.65 crore in FY24 from Rs 14.4 crore. The standalone net profit jumped to Rs 99.9 crore in FY24 from Rs 1.5  crore.

Thomas Cook India capitalizes on AI, spiritual tourism, and tier-2 cities to boost biz

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.


<strong>'Spiritual vacation'</strong>


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.


<strong>'International trip on cards'</strong>

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".

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

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her 7th budget speech gave a boost to "religious tourism" under the Centre's PRASAD scheme. The Finance Minister announced that the Vishnupad Temple Corridor (in Gaya) and Mahabodhi Temple Corridor would be supported and modeled on the Kashi Vishwanath Temple Corridor.

Further, Sitharaman said that the government will take a "comprehensive development initiative" for Rajgir which holds significance for Hindus, Buddhists, and Jains.

"The 20th Tirthankara Munisuvrata temple in the Jain Temple complex is ancient. The Saptharishi or the 7 hotsprings form a warm water Brahmakund that is sacred. A comprehensive development initiative for Rajgir will be undertaken," FM Sitharaman said in Parliament today.

Further, the FM said the government will support the development of Nalanda as a tourist centre besides reviving Nalanda University.

Sitharaman said the the Centre will also assist in Odisha for developing a tourism destination.

Aloke Bajpai, Chairman, Managing Director & Group CEO, ixigo lauded the government's initiative towards spiritual tourism. Bajpai said, "We saw a 40-50% increase in demand for spiritual tourism last year, for destinations like Varanasi, Ayodhya, and Tirupati. The government’s PRASAD Scheme has led to a remarkable transformation in Varanasi's tourism sector, attracting an unprecedented 100 million visitors to Kashi Vishwanath Dham after the corridor project completion." 

Bajpai further said, "We expect a similar boost in tourism to Bihar and Odisha with spiritual tourism corridors coming up for Vishnupad Temple and Mahabodhi Temple at Bodh Gaya, along with comprehensive initiatives for Rajgir, Nalanda, and Odisha. We expect this to benefit our large next billion user (NBU) base which predominantly relies on buses and trains to access these spiritual towns, and where our market share continues to improve across modes of transport."

The Centre launched the PRASAD (Pilgrimage Rejuvenation And Spiritual Augmentation Drive) Scheme in 2014 under the Ministry of Tourism which focuses on developing and identifying different pilgrimages to promote religious tourism in the country.

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With the Paris Olympics 2024 and Paralympic Games just weeks away, hospitality firm Airbnb has witnessed a significant surge in bookings across the globe.

The vacation rental company said that travellers from more than 160 countries have booked their stays with Airbnb during the Olympics period (July 26 to August 11). Paris has emerged as the top-searched city on its platform with a nearly 90% increase in active listings in the region, it added.

According to the American hospitality firm, Airbnb witnessed the highest increase in travellers coming from India, Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Japan. India alone witnessed around a 30% increase in booking of stays in and around Paris. Beyond Paris, Indian travellers would be exploring other locations in the country such as Nice, Aubervilliers, Colombes, and Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine. Additionally, areas including key Olympic venues like Colombes (field hockey) and Châteauroux (shooting events), along with cities hosting football matches like Saint-Etienne, Lyon, Nantes, Nice, and Bordeaux, have experienced significant interest.

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"The surge in bookings for Paris reflects an exciting trend among Indian travellers, who are increasingly planning trips around iconic sporting events like the Olympics, showcasing their growing appetite for unique, global experiences. Interestingly, while Paris remains a top destination, these travellers are also venturing beyond traditional tourist spots to explore cities like Saint-Denis and Bordeaux to catch their favourite sports," Amanpreet Bajaj, Airbnb’s General Manager for India, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, and Taiwan said.


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As of March 31, nights booked during the dates of the Olympics were over five times (400%) higher than they were in Paris two years ago in the same time interval, Airbnb mentioned.


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It added that the stays in its properties during the dates of the Summer Olympic Games in Paris 2024 are estimated to generate over $2,170 for a typical host in the region, having a total economic impact of almost more than $1 billion and supporting almost 7,300 full-time equivalent jobs in the country. 

Paris Olympics 2024: Airbnb sees 30% surge in bookings from Indian tourists

TOURISM