Winter travel hots up; overseas bookings see 22% growth

The approaching winter season has witnessed 22 per cent growth in overseas bookings as compared to last year, according to a report.
The winter is traditionally considered the peak season for Indian travellers.
"More and more Indians are planning and investing in holidays. There is a significant rise in bookings for the winter season. The demand for international holidays has surged by 22 per cent (this year) compared to last year," Cox & Kings Head (Relationships) Karan Anand said.
He said there has been growth in bookings for domestic destinations as well. "Bookings for domestic holidays have gone up by around 18 per cent."

The winter season begins from Diwali in October/ November and continues through Christmas and the New Year, presenting opportunities for travellers to explore the places of their interest as they get consecutive holidays during this time, said the report by the leading travel company.
"Usually, people combine these holidays with weekends and also take a day or two off from work to plan long trip of 7-8 days," Anand added.

Europe is the most sought after destination this winter followed by Dubai, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, according to the report.
"Countries with visa-on-arrival facility or where the lead time to obtain the visa is less are in demand for short weekend trips," Anand said, quoting from the report.

Dubai, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Indonesia (Bali) are the top picks among these, he added.
"For international vacations, we see increased number of nights and higher transaction values. We have also observed that multi-generational families from different locations congregate on a destination to enjoy festive celebration for the entire extended family," he said.
On the domestic front, Kerala, Andaman, Rajasthan, Goa and Himachal Pradesh are the flavours of this season, said Anand.
Meanwhile, the report revealed that evolved travellers are looking at upcoming places like Tanzania, China and Uzbekistan. "They also look for off-beat international destinations such as Cambodia, Egypt, Kenya, Israel and Japan."

Bookings for honeymoon are also in full swing in this period and beach and island destinations like Bali, Vietnam, Seychelles, Mauritius and the Maldives are among the preferred choices for the newly married couples, it said.