Travel experts recommend advance booking amidst rising tour costs during festive season

Among budget travel, he termed river cruises and Sri Lanka as popular choices, pointing out that tourists can get a 5-star hotel in the island nation for $70 dollars with bed & breakfast, compared to $250 to $300 in India. For the super-rich, he said that destinations like the African safari, Ethiopia, river Nile in Egypt, Greece, Antarctica and cruises in Alaska and the Mediterranean cruise as in demand.

But travel to long-haul destinations is lesser during the festive season, as per travel portal Yatra Online, due to longer planning time and expenses. The company attributes the popularity of short-haul destinations during the festive season to lesser expense, travel time and lesser need for advance planning.

However, the company has said that the cost of travel packages has risen by 10 to 15% compared to previous years. This is due to rising fuel costs, increased demand for travel and inflation impacting overall travel expenses. Yatra Online pointed out that the most attractive destinations in India and abroad continue to be places that cater to small groups/families and couples, with travellers seeking a mix of relaxation, adventure, and cultural experiences.

While the Delhi-Agra-Jaipur circuit, Goa, Kashmir and Kerala continue to remain popular among inbound tourists, international tourist hotspots for Indians include Maldives, Thailand, Singapore and Dubai. Despite more advance bookings than in previous years, airfares have risen on most routes. Manan Bajoria, Group VP for Growth Marketing at Ixigo told CNBC-TV18 that advance bookings for Diwali this year (made 35 days in advance) have increased by 12% compared to 2022 and the leisure travel demand is at its peak, witnessing a 67% month-on-month increase in searches for Diwali travel.

While he described New Delhi, Mumbai, Goa, Jaipur and Varanasi as the most searched and booked domestic destinations during Diwali, he pointed out that with 25 to 30% higher domestic fares across most routes, many Indians opting for economical short-haul international travel. Giving an example, he said that the one-way fare from Bangalore to Jaipur near Diwali is around Rs. 13,500, whereas the Bangalore-Colombo one-way flight is Rs. 8,000 on the same dates.

Data from the Indian Chamber of Commerce suggests that airfares have risen by over 50-100% and tour packages are 30-40% more expensive than last year. With new destinations picking up in popularity and the all-time favourites witnessing a strong demand, industry experts advise potential travellers to book at least two to three months in advance to save money as well as ensure they get bookings to the destination of their choice.