Hotel rates rise 26.94% after Diwali as Indians combine hometown celebrations with leisure getaways: Survey
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Leisure destinations such as Goa, Ooty and Mahabaleshwar records heightened hotel booking activity, according to the platform.
Indians are increasingly combining traditional Diwali celebrations in their hometowns with short leisure getaways, creating a festive travel pattern that blends cultural traditions with extended-weekend holidays. Data from Sciative Solutions’, an AI-powered pricing technology and revenue management company, hospitality revenue management platform, ZettaRMS.ai, points to heightened hotel booking activity across leisure destinations such as Goa, Ooty and Mahabaleshwar, alongside a sharp rise in displayed accommodation rates during the post-Diwali extended weekend.
According to Sciative’s festive pricing analysis, average mid-scale hotel rates rise 26.94% above the pre-Diwali baseline during November 11-15, making the post-Diwali extended weekend the strongest pricing window in the festive cycle tracked. The findings suggest that travel demand extends beyond the main festival dates as travellers return home for traditional celebrations before taking short breaks, adding to pricing pressure during the extended holiday period.
The analysis tracks displayed accommodation rates across five phases of the Diwali holiday cycle, with the main festival falling on November 8, 2026. Average mid-scale rates increase from INR 9,221 during October 25-31 to INR 10,451 during November 6–10, a rise of 13.34%. Rates subsequently reach INR 11,705 during November 11-15. Premium hotel rates follow a similar pattern, rising from a pre-festive average of INR 25,917 to INR 28,522 during Diwali and INR 31,163 during the post-Diwali extended weekend.
Rates remain elevated through the second half of November, with mid-scale accommodation averaging INR 11,670 and premium properties approximately INR 32,126. The period overlaps with wedding-season activity and winter leisure travel, extending the pricing pressure beyond the main festival dates.
The destination-level findings reveal considerable variation in accommodation prices across India’s leisure and spiritual travel markets. Lonavala records an overall average displayed rate of INR 29,655, followed by Mahabaleshwar at INR 20,324, while Goa averages INR 15,600. In Lonavala, three- and four-star properties average INR 23,018, compared with INR41,983 for five-star properties. In Goa, five-star properties average INR 29,891, while mid-scale stays average INR 9,251. Further south, Ooty records an overall average of INR 15,805 and Coorg INR 14,666. In northern India, Mussoorie averages INR 16,296, while Darjeeling illustrates the gap between accommodation categories, with mid-scale properties averaging INR 6,819 and five-star properties INR 31,050.
Pilgrimage destinations offer comparatively lower overall price points in the analysis, although accommodation category continues to influence the cost of a stay. Haridwar records an overall average displayed rate of INR 5,449, with mid-scale properties averaging INR 4,151 and five-star properties INR 15,743. In Rishikesh, mid-scale and five-star properties average INR 7,504 and INR 24,494, respectively. Tirupati records an overall average of INR 4,866, compared with INR 6,914 in Madurai, while coastal and religious destination Puri averages INR9,253. Together, the findings highlight the range of accommodation prices across India, from premium leisure markets to pilgrimage centres, as travellers plan their festive holidays around different budgets and travel preferences.
Vijeta Soni, Co-Founder & CEO, Sciative Solutions, said, “India’s festive travel calendar is increasingly spread across multiple windows, with travellers combining traditional celebrations in their hometowns with short leisure getaways. Our observations across destinations such as Goa, Ooty and Mahabaleshwar point to growing demand for these quick festive breaks, while the pricing data shows that the strongest rate pressure emerges after Diwali. For hotel businesses, this makes timely demand forecasting, competitive rate monitoring and dynamic pricing increasingly important. Through ZettaRMS.ai, we aim to equip hospitality businesses with the pricing intelligence and AI-led capabilities needed to make faster, more informed revenue management decisions.”
The analysis is based on displayed accommodation rates observed across 3,114 properties in 13 Indian destinations.
