Staycations the new trend for enjoying those long weekends
TRAVEL PORTALS TRACKING HOLIDAY BOOKINGS SAID THERE HAS BEEN A 15% INCREASE IN BOOKINGS FOR STAYCATIONS AND WELLNESS HOLIDAYS
MUMBAI:WITH the long Eid weekend coinciding with the onset of monsoon, Mumbaiites are preferring staycations — stay at a resort close to the city where they can indulge in ayurvedic massages or spa treatments.
Travel portals tracking holiday bookings said there has been a 15% increase in bookings for staycations and wellness holidays, as compared to the last long weekend in May when people thronged hill stations and destinations closer to Mumbai. Also, bookings for international destinations have increased.
Neelu Singh, CEO and director of Ezeego, said, “For the upcoming long weekend, we are seeing a huge demand for destinations in and around Maharashtra. We have registered the highest bookings for Tarkarli, Mahabaleshwar, Matheran, Kamshet, Pune, Lonavala, Alibaug, Gokarna, Kudal and Goa. We also noticed that staycations are very popular this weekend, especially among Dual Income No Kids (DINKS) and youngsters.”
Cox & Kings said the demand for holidays has surged 15% for the upcoming Eid weekend. Karan Anand, head of public relationships, said, “As monsoon has already arrived in most parts of India, especially in south and western India, we have seen an increase in wellness vacations. Customers prefer to spend their weekends indulging in spa treatments and ayurvedic massages. Staycations at luxury resorts are in demand once again, mainly for the off season discount offered during monsoon. Families and individual travellers see this as an opportunity to enjoy luxury within their budget.
SOTC said it has seen a rise in demand for domestic and short haul international destinations. Daniel D’souza- head of sales at SOTC Travel, said, “International destinations, with great weather, such as Thailand, Bali, Mauritius, Bhutan and Sri Lanka are in great demand. Destinations such as Udaipur, Dharamshala, Goa, Kashmir, Mauritius, Bhutan and Sri Lanka are immensely popular for last minute trips.