Festive fever checks in early: Hotel bookings, room rates rise as Indians plan longer getaways

New Delhi: With the festive season kicking in, hotels across key markets are seeing stronger enquiries and bookings, with average daily rates, occupancy, and revenue per available room expected to see an uptick and a stronger season over last year.

Hoteliers said travellers are also spending more on stays and experiences during the festive period. Travel companies said as travellers combine multiple festivals, school holidays and paid leaves, many travellers are choosing 5–9-day itineraries across both international and domestic destinations around the festive season. Package prices have remained broadly in line with last year, with airfares, hotel costs and peak-season inventory being key factors, travel companies said.

“Festive demand is encouraging, with bookings across our leisure hotels currently pacing approximately 10–15% ahead of last year. The Gandhi Jayanti weekend is already seeing strong traction, while bookings for Dussehra and Diwali are expected to accelerate closer to the dates,” said Nikhil Sharma, MD and COO (South Asia) at Radisson Hotel Group. He said travellers were increasingly prioritising family experiences, wellness, local cuisine and resort activities. “Room rates at high-demand leisure hotels are tracking approximately 8–10% above last year, with higher increases possible on peak dates,” he added.


According to the HVS ANAROCK Monitor, the hotel sector recorded an average room rate of Rs 10,000–10,200 in the first quarter of financial year 2026, with occupancy at 67–69% and revenue per available room at Rs 6,700–7,038. Animesh Kumar, commercial head for ibis and ibis Styles India said he expects the festive months to build on this base, particularly in markets where business and leisure travel come together.

“The season should therefore be positive for both occupancy and hotel revenues. Dining, celebrations, and other experiences are becoming an important part of the stay during this time of the year,” he added.

On EaseMyTrip, search volumes have risen by around 40-45% month-on-month, which suggests that travellers are beginning to plan their festive and wedding-season travel earlier.

“With Dussehra, Diwali, Chhath and the wedding season spread across October to December, demand is likely to remain healthy across both leisure and the visiting friends and relatives travel segment,” said Rikant Pittie, co-founder and CEO, EaseMyTrip.

While Diwali-specific bookings typically gain momentum closer to October-November, the broader festive travel period is already seeing increased travel intent, particularly across domestic routes connecting major metros with tier two and tier three markets, said Bharatt Malik, senior VP, air and hotel business at Yatra Online.

“We are also seeing travellers firming up their plans earlier, particularly on routes where fares tend to rise closer to the date of travel. While these trends are not specific to Diwali alone, they indicate that festive travel planning is already underway and we expect this momentum to strengthen further as we move closer to Dussehra and Diwali,” he added.

Travellers are becoming ‘more deliberate’ about where they spend, said Rajeev Kale, president and country head for holidays, MICE and Visa at Thomas Cook (India) Limited.

“We continue to see interest across experiential, leisure and spiritual travel, with domestic holidays emerging as a strong alternative for shorter breaks. Kashmir, the North East, the Andamans, Rajasthan, Lakshadweep, and spiritual circuits are seeing strong traction,” said Kale.

S.D. Nandakumar, president and country head for holidays and corporate tours at SOTC Travel said travellers are becoming more selective about where they spend their international holiday budget, with value and distinctive experiences increasingly influencing destination choices.

“Southeast Asia is gaining attention through Japan, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, while Sri Lanka and Bhutan offer compelling shorter-haul alternatives. For long-haul travel, Europe, Australia and New Zealand continue to have strong relevance during the festive and year-end season,” he added.