Domestic travel surges during Diwali weekend

Making the most of the long Diwali weekend, domestic travel this festive season has risen by around 25 percent as compared with last year, a survey revealed Wednesday.

Conducted by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham), the survey interacted with about 50 tour operators each in the five metro cities of Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai during the course of the last week.

"Travelling during the festive season has developed into a trend of sorts as they fit the schedule of salaried-class people, who are hard-pressed for time due to strict work routines during most of the time and it is only during the festivals that they visit friends and relatives," said D.S. Rawat, secretary general of Assocham.

"With Diwali falling almost on a weekend, many have planned a vacation to nearby tourist destinations and apart from festive celebrations, a long weekend has surely given people a reason for a much-needed vacation," he added.

The survey noted that travel portals, too, have witnessed a tremendous surge of about 20-25 percent in booking while tour operators are also offering exclusive holiday packages for the Diwali weekend.

While international destinations such as Dubai, Macau, Singapore and Thailand are most preferred by people willing to travel overseas, there has been just a 10-15 percent rise in this segment, highlighted the survey.