Delhi's air woes drive demand for hill getaways, resort stays

New Delhi: Hotels and alternative accommodation players are seeing an uptick in bookings from Delhi, with an increasing number of people looking to take a break from the deteriorating air quality.

Luxury villa rental platform StayVista is seeing a 45% growth in bookings from Delhi NCR over the previous year and the company expects it to continue rising over the next couple of weeks, said founder Amit Damani. "For this month, we saw a spike in demand for mountain getaways with cooler weather and cleaner air. Destinations such as Kasauli, Mussoorie and Bhimtal have seen high demand," he added.

Those who can work remotely are getting away, said Rajiv Mehra, general secretary, Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism and Hospitality (FAITH). "People are frequenting the hills, and some are even planning overseas trips knowing this period sees severe air pollution," he added.


Sarovar Hotels is seeing encouraging interest across select leisure destinations, particularly from younger travellers who increasingly prefer short getaways to destinations within a comfortable driving distance, said Akshay Thusoo, senior vice president, commercial, at Sarovar Hotels. At Sukoon Resort & Spa, Dakpathar, occupancies have jumped from 25% pre Diwali to 100% now. "Most are middle aged and senior citizens from Delhi NCR. They are happy coming to a cleaner environment," said director Bani Sharma.

As per reports, automated monitoring stations in the city are reporting relatively satisfactory pollution levels even as the readings from private air quality monitors indicate severe pollution levels. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) said on Tuesday that its analysers were calibrated to measure particulate matter concentrations only upto 1,000 micrograms per cubic metre and could not display readings beyond it on Diwali night.

Tarun Gulati, director, Ganga Kinare Resorts & Hotels said he has observed an uptick in enquiries and bookings from Delhi, particularly during the winter months. "Deteriorating air quality could certainly be an additional factor influencing travel decisions. Rishikesh, with its proximity to the Ganges and the Himalayan foothills offers an appealing alternative for those looking to take a break," he added.