Signing off for Diwali: The best holiday destinations for the season

As winter sets in and large parts of India battle smog, people are taking a short break in places that offer respite

Diwali means families and friends visiting each other for parties, eating good food, and having a good time. They do that at home or at a staycation, a place for a short vacation away from home.

As winter sets in North India and the pollution gets worse, bookings for hotel rooms and villas have increased.

For Saffron Stays, which runs luxury villas and private vacation homes, Diwali brings business. Deven Parulekar, founder of Saffron Stays, says: "This year too we are growing close to 50 per cent over last year's Diwali and it's a mix of value growth and volume growth. Prices (for bookings) are also 5-7 per cent more than last year."

There has been a 35 per cent increase since last year in Delhi residents opting for staycation after October 20 for their Diwali break, according to SaffronStays. In Mumbai, around 42 per cent people have made the same choice. Many people want to spend Diwali away from polluted cities, which are expected to get worse after the festival’s celebrations.

"We are witnessing a strong demand of over 50 per cent from our NCR-based customers this Diwali compared to last year,” says Rajeev Kale, president and country head for holidays, MICE, Visa-Thomas Cook (India), referring to the national capital region.

Short Diwali holidays

“What is noteworthy is that this travel demand cuts across segments – of families/multigenerational families, young professionals. Our data highlights a significant shift in the Indian consumer behaviour – with their rapid transition from a saver to a spender mindset. We are seeing consumers willing to spend 20–30 per cent more and take longer/multiple breaks,” he says.

This Diwali Indians are travelling to short-haul and easy-visa destinations like Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Vietnam and Cambodia. There is strong interest in island options like Mauritius, Maldives, Sri Lanka and continued travel to Japan and South Korea. South Africa, Australia and Europe are popular destinations for customers taking a long break.

Popular domestic destinations include Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Kerala, Rajasthan, Goa and Andamans. Occupancy in luxury hotels at popular Indian destinations is between 80 per cent and100 per cent days before Diwali on November 12 and rates are rising by 25- 30 per cent, say travel industry executives.

"Indian hill stations and quaint destinations like Himachal, Uttarakhand, Kashmir, Udaipur, Sikkim, Kerala, Goa are seeing an almost 2x rise in bookings during the festive weekend. While there is a rising trend in booking villas, hotels remain favourites," says Rakesh Bawa, vice president and head for national sales, holidays, B2C Sales, SOTC Travel.

Saurav Chakraborty, founder and chief executive officer of Travel Buddy, a digital travel community platform, says there are five travel trends in the festive season.

Six trends

Seasonal: “Essential travel is expected to surge as individuals reunite with families in their hometowns. Many people are seeking to avoid pollution. Both short and long-drivable destinations will become more popular choices for travellers. Group travel is on the rise, with travellers desiring to journey with like-minded communities,” says Chakraborty whose company recently organised a trip for 46 people to watch Dasara celebrations in Mysuru.

Offbeat destinations: “People are booking (hotel rooms) in advance and taking an extended pollution break. They prefer going to aloof destinations rather than Shimla, Nainital, which are as overcrowded as Delhi,” says Kajal Chanana, founder of Connecting India and a travel influencer.

Offbeat destinations are not well known and hotels there smaller: Kasauli in Himachal Pradesh, Mount Abu in Rajasthan, Goa or Pondicherry.

Travelling to India: Agoda, an online travel agency, says tourists to India have increased and the most come from the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Australia and the Netherlands. “Delhi schools are closed for air pollution. My son has holidays owing to pollution. And after that are the regular Diwali holidays. My sister in law is coming with her family from the US and we are all going to Kerala with our extended family from the US to stay in a treehouse from AirBNB for 15 days,” says Ashima Negi, a 35-year-old parent of a Class 5 student in South Delhi.

Heading to West, South India: Agoda says its data shows that many Indians are travelling to Goa, Ooty, Pondicherry, Mumbai and Bengaluru, which are top destinations in West and South India for Diwali holidays. Agoda’s data shows a 13 per cent increase in online search for 'Diwali travel' compared to 2022.

Economical holidays abroad: Sri Lanka and South East Asia are reasonably priced overseas destinations for holidays, says Krishna Rathi, country director for India, Sri Lanka, and Maldives at Agoda: “The long weekend means more people are taking advantage to travel with family and friends to enjoy the festivities together. When it comes to international preferences, the five most popular international destinations are Bangkok, Dubai, Singapore, Pattaya, and Kuala Lumpur. The Southeast Asian destinations offer rich cultural experiences, culinary adventures, and a mix of landscapes, while Dubai entices with its vibrant nightlife, luxurious lifestyle, and modern marvels.”

Villas over hotels: For longer stays, many guests prefer villas over hotels. Five nights at a top-rated villa will cost between Rs 1.5 lakh and Rs 4 lakh considering the dates as November 10 to 15, according to SaffronStays. Le Farm at Kamshet in Maharashtra would cost Rs 338,631 while a stay at Sanvina Farm in the same state would cost Rs 301,458. The price at Satori Woodhouse villa at Mulshi is Rs 147,500 and Alibaug’s Gardenia is Rs 430,664. Villas are often equipped for long-term stays; they have laundry facilities and more storage space.

Airbnb: Airbnb accommodations provide services that reflect their hosts taste and can be tailored for guests, says Nalin Jha, who manages 17 such units in Delhi and Goa. “The majority of (Airbnb) listings invariably offer a kitchen, providing significant convenience for guests. Airbnbs often feel more like a home than a hotel room. This can include comfortable living spaces, gardens, BBQ facilities, and other home-like amenities which depend from listing to listing,” says Jha.

Holiday destination	Approximate cost in Rs for a hotel room, per person on twin-share basis
Goa	12,000
Kerala	20,000
Udaipur	22,000
Kasauli	20,000
Sri Lanka	29,000

Source: Thomas Cook (India) Limited & SOTC