Indians are preferring inter-state road trips and beach destinations this Diwali after staying homebound for months on end, says OYO Hotels & Homes. According to OYO’s Diwali booking trends, Jaipur, Kerala, Goa, Visakhapatnam, and Varanasi top the charts as the most popular leisure destinations among travellers.
Commenting on this trend, Harshit Vyas, SVP & COO – Franchise Business, OYO India & South Asia, said, “The festive season combined with gradual unlocks has resulted in a surge in leisure travel since September 2020. As per our Diwali booking trends, with social distancing becoming a way of life and people opting for safer travel options, road trips are here to stay, therefore, leading to an increase in inter-state travel during Diwali and the upcoming holiday season this year. We expect leisure destinations to continue gaining momentum in the coming months with rising consumer optimism for travel.”
According to OYO’s consumer use cases, 57 per cent of respondents wish to travel for leisure, with approx. 61 per cent respondents stating that they had already decided the destination for their coming vacation. This is a testament to the steady comeback of travel in the next few months, however, while doing so, 67 per cent of these consumers are also seeking safe stays.
As per the overall travel trends across India, between April 2020 and September 2020, OYO observes an uptick in bookings across business destinations including Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Kolkata. On the other hand, among leisure cities, OYO’s booking data also highlights that some cities like Shimla, Manali, Munnar, Ooty and Gangtok that didn’t enjoy high demand compared to other tourist hotspots during pre-COVID days are now increasingly showing positive signs of rising bookings since September 2020.
