Have money, will travel: How vacationing is changing in India

Planning a short trip on the next extended weekend in October? Perhaps, you will have to compromise and take whatever accommodation you get, unless you have booked your trip months in advance. Travel companies say that most bookings for short-haul holidays have been made a few months ago and now almost all preferred places for travel are full. The favoured travel spots this year so far has been Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Coorg, Lonavala, McLeodganj, Rishikesh, Jaipur and Goa for short-haul holidays in the country, say tour operators.

Given the fact that 2014 has the unique distinction of holidays coinciding with weekends unlike last year, a two-night-three-day travel package has become the norm. The average cost of the packages range from Rs 5,000 to Rs 50,000 depending on the destination of choice.

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Deals clinch it
The rule of thumb for short haul holidays is proximity and accessibility. With deals thrown in, travel has only become more attractive. A mix of tourists travelling with families, first-time travellers and repeat tourists are opting for the long weekend breaks, says Vishal Suri, Chief Executive Officer-Tour Operating, Kuoni India.

A few years ago, says Hari Nair, CEO and Founder, HolidayIQ.com, people were not willing to go beyond 200 kms for a short holiday. However, now most are willing to go beyond 350 kms because of good roads and transportation.

Destinations that were rarely considered earlier are now being explored. Some years ago, if the Konkan belt was suggested for a holiday, people would baulk at it, recalls Alan D’Mello, partner, Konkan Pride Hospitality and a senior hospitality communications specialist. A question oft asked would be, he says, ‘What is there to see in Konkan?’ But now, all that has changed. Since the Konkan belt caters to the business hub of Kolhapur, Pune and Mumbai, weekend business is brisk and rings in the cash registers for travel operators.

“Everything is booked till the year-end in the Konkan belt. Short-haul holidays require a three-week advance notice. Another reason for the sell-out booking is that there are many impulsive buyers of these holidays. One of the reasons for the popularity of some spots like Ganpatipule, Sanghameshwar and Karkal, besides others is that the connectivity is high and the road infrastructure has improved. So tourists are arriving in hordes,” says D’Mello.

A holiday season is pass, say some travelers. Have money, will travel is the mantra. Shubam Mane, a 24-year-old IT fresher from Mumbai has taken 4 mini vacations so far. With a weekend getaway to Ooty or Kodaikanal pegged at Rs 4,025, it is not all that expensive to take a short break and return refreshed to a work week.

The travel season has not seen a dip in the monsoons, too. Sanjay Dhekne, senior manager (Publicity and PR), MTDC says that the monsoon travel season from mid-June to August-end, 2014 was good. A few resorts in Mahableshwar, Malshej Ghat have shown 75 to 80 percent rise in traffic. “At this time of the year, it has gone up to 90 percent. Travellers are willing to spend Rs 2,500 to Rs 5,000 a day for a couple. The interest so far have been to places like Tarkali, Ganpatiphule, Harihareshwar, Malshej Ghat, Bhandardhara, Lonavla, Karla,” he says, adding he expects the trend to peak as the festival season begins shortly in the country.

Seasoned travellers
As travel is becoming a private affair with money not considered a barrier both by a niche category of seasoned and first time travellers, their preference veer towards mono and untapped destinations with customised itineraries. Places like Koh Samui, Krabi , Seychelles, Cambodia and Bali are showing up prominently on their travel map. Besides this, a host of other vacations-self-drive, gourmet, cycling, trekking, glamping, self drives and spa holidays-are on the rise.

The slightest reason is a cause for celebration and thus, a vacation. Around 40 percent holidays today comprise of special days from a promotion, birthday, etc. This has become the norm, says Ravi Goel of Ecomantra, adding that it led to the company starting a new division, Celebrations. “We noticed the trend three years ago and found that people were willing to splurge on a candle lit dinner in Lavasa what it would cost them over four times a hotel room rate, for instance.”

Another phenomenon that is gaining ground is that if the crowds are headed to some popular destinations, there are many who refuse to go down that path even if the places are worth it, Goel says. “If on an extended weekend, I have to jostle with crowds, it makes no sense to spend that money,” says 26-year-old Priya Subramaniam, who scours the Internet and travel books for off-the-cuff destinations. The choice for people like her is to design one’s own holiday. That’s where customized tours come to play.

A substantial number of travellers are opting for customised vacations to destinations, says Vishal Suri of Kuoni India. A customised holiday gives travellers the convenience of exploring various destinations the way they want to.

Customised options, however, are a costly affair. Only those who have travelled a bit and have the money to spend on a do-it-at-your-pace holiday opt for it. “When it comes to customised options, the inquiries are still limited. All people need is a good property suggestion and subsequent booking. This they can also do themselves and only those people who aren’t aware of interesting property/place options, contact us,” says Manjari Varma, Co-Founder, Broken Compass, a travel firm that specialises in customised tours. Varma says, Spain, France, Australia, Bali and New Zealand are the few frequently visited destinations this season. A foreign holiday for a couple costs around Rs 2.5 to 3 lakhs for 7-8 days, says Varma. On the domestic front, Rajasthan, Kerala, Uttaranchal and Himachal have attracted considerable tourist traffic, she says, adding, wildlife holidays have picked up a lot.

With no cause being too little or trivial for celebration and good deals from tour operators, weekend vacations have become the norm in 2014.