Desi destinations are hot this summer

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The fall of the rupee, soaring fuel prices and surge in airfares is making frequent travellers alter their summer vacation plans. Instead of foreign destinations, many are now opting for domestic travel spots.
Photographer and avid traveller, Priyanka Sardana, who postponed her Europe trip and decided on a holiday in Bhutan, says that she would take this as an opportunity to explore places closer to home. “I would have had to shell out around 15-20 per cent more for the foreign trip, which is not a small amount for me. From travel to shopping, everything is going to be expensive. I’d now like to explore our neighbouring countries,” she says.
“Summer has always been peak travel season for families. Travellers today are evolving and taking keen interest in experiential tours and offbeat destinations. For Indian travellers, quality and value pricing are both of importance. Our domestic business has seen an upward trend of over 30 per cent this season. We have seen a strong demand for destinations such as Goa, Manali, Leh, Ladakh and Sikkim,” says Madhav Pai, COO, Leisure Travel, (outbound), Thomas Cook, (India) Limited.
The depreciating value of the rupee against most of the other currencies could be a key reason for the upswing in domestic travel, agrees Rajiv Malhotra, head of marketing, south east Asia, Hotels.com. This has also resulted in hotel room rates rising at popular destinations like Jaipur, Goa and Manali as per a report by Hotels.com. Popular tourist hotspots in India have seen double digit growth in hotel room rates. “Mysore has shown the highest rise of 19 per cent, Jaipur also has shown a 13 per cent rise in hotel room rates while Agra has witnessed a 16 per cent rise. Goa, the most favourite beach destination, is not far behind with a 12 per cent increase in hotel room rates,” says Rajiv.
According to those in travel business, destinations most popular for Indian travellers this season include Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Mauritius, and they are coming up with special offers to lure the customers.
“Short-haul destinations like Dubai, Thailand and Sri Lanka are perennial options, and in this price-sensitive scenario they offer great value to our customers,” says Madhav.
Says Ajay Jain of travel café, Kunzum, that promotes domestic tourism, “The good news is that in the present scenario, the cost of domestic travel is not going to be affected much, so all-time favourite destinations like Himachal, Kashmir and Goa are going to see a rush of tourists this season.”