More Indians opt for smaller vacations, multiple times

This has now emerged as the largest segment for tour operators; weekend bookings are growing at 40%

Small is big for Indian vacationers, as they increasingly opt for multiple short-haul tours during the year.

Rajeev Kale, president and country head, leisure travel and MICE at Thomas Cook (India), said we have observed a surge in weekend bookings of over 35 per cent for international travel and 50 per cent for domestic travel,  compared to past year. 

According to a recent Yatra Summer Survey, 59.9 per cent Indians opt for two-to-three holidays in a year, compared to 30.6 per cent people who travel once a year. Only 9.5 per cent Indians travel more than four times in a year. 

Sharat Dhall, president, Yatra, said over 70 per cent of the overall bookings that Yatra gets are for short-haul holidays. 

“Most of the hotel and flights bookings now take place online, and given the good deals on offer, the trend has been picking up over the past few years,” Dhall said. 

Karan Anand, head- relationships, Cox & Kings, said, “This trend has been growing consistently. Increased work pressure is one of the factors driving short holidays. Second, domestic airlines have increased connectivity and are coming out with special offers, inducing people to take short breaks that do not pinch their pockets.”

Cox & Kings has seen a 20 per cent rise in long weekend holidays, he added. It is not primarily driven by domestic holidays.

People also travel overseas for short breaks. Destinations such as Thailand, Singapore, Dubai, Bhutan and Sri Lanka are the favourites. 

In fact, international short-haul holidays have become more of a trend this year. Neelu Singh, chief executive officer & director, Ezeego1, said, “The concept of multiple long-weekend holidays picked up last year and is fast catching up this year as well. Past year, the trend was to travel to close-by domestic destinations. However, this year, people are exploring destinations like Thailand, Dubai, Malaysia, Maldives and Singapore that offer visa-on-arrival services for  short holidays.”

Ezeego1 saw a good pick up in hotel bookings and packages for long weekends in cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Ahmedabad in the past year and it expects the segment to grow by 40 per cent this year.

Thomas Cook India’s data indicate highest uptake (55 per cent) from the family segment, followed by young professionals/ad hoc groups of friends at 40 per cent.