Hotel bookings surge by over 20% during Diwali: Survey

AHMEDABAD: Inbound travel during Diwali has risen by about 20-25 per cent as compared to last year as tour operators have reported a rise in booking as many people have planned for a short holiday vacation with a view to make most of the extended weekend this Diwali, according to a survey of travel agents conducted by Assocham Social Development Foundation.
Despite spiraling airfare and high room charges in hotels, travel portals have witnessed tremendous surge of about 20-25 per cent in booking. Many tour operators have also offered exclusive holiday packages for Diwali weekend.
The survey was carried out on about 50 tour operators each in five metro cities of Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai during the course of last one week.
Many Amdavadis have planned to spend the moments of joy and festivities with their friends and family at picturesque locations of Ambaji, Bhavnagar, Daman & Diu, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Dwarka, Gir, Kutch, Mount Abu, Patan, Somnath, Udaipur and others.
Of the total 50 tour operators interviewed by Assocham in Ahmedabad, about 30 admitted about a surge of over 20 per cent in bookings during the upcoming weekend. Many of them also said that hotels in most of the aforesaid locations have increased room rent by upto 40 per cent in order to cash on the tourist rush during the extended weekend.
International destinations such as Dubai, Macau Singapore and Thailand are most preferred by people willing to travel overseas, however, there is just about 10-15 per cent rise in this segment.