Travel platforms and hotels see uptick in bookings for Diwali

New Delhi: A growing number of travellers are opting for domestic destinations, and even overseas during Diwali, with online travel platforms, alternative accommodation providers, and even overseas hotels reporting an increase in bookings over last year despite higher airfares.

Gavin Ramsay, chief growth and marketing officer at The One Group of Hotels, Sri Lanka, said Diwali bookings from Indian travellers are 35% more than last year.

“Last year, we were primarily securing last minute reservations within the month of travel,” he said. “This year, however, we have seen a positive shift, with bookings being confirmed much earlier, in some cases as early as a month prior to arrival.”


At online travel platform Cleartrip, Gen Z bookings are driving Diwali growth, surging 73% year-on-year. “Within that, hotel bookings have risen over 231%,” said a company spokesperson. “Solo hotel bookings rose over 75%, and Friday and Saturday getaways have increased over 55% making up more than a third of hotel bookings.”

Hotel bookings for Vijaywada are up 210% while flight bookings for Agatti are up 195% on Cleartrip. Flight bookings to Colombo from Bengaluru and Mumbai are up 99% and 89% respectively.

Luxury villa rental platform StayVista is seeing a 35% YoY uptick in Diwali bookings, said founder Amit Damani. Average room rates for the company are up 12%. “Bookings are up from Delhi NCR and Mumbai,” he said. “People are looking for quieter, greener options to spend time.”

Hari Ganapathy, CEO and co-founder at Pickyourtrail said international Diwali bookings have grown by 19-20% YoY for the company, with travellers spending an average of Rs 75,000-90,000 per person and booking their holidays 60-90 days in advance.

Travellers from Delhi NCR in particular, are also choosing longer stays, typically 6-7 nights, with an average spend of Rs 80,000-Rs 1.2 lakh per person.

SaffronStays is expecting around 60% revenue growth from Diwali bookings over last year, said founder Deven Parulekar. “This year, the desire to get away from pollution and the congestion of urban centres is also influencing travel choices,” he said.

Karna Timbadia, MD, SAJ Hotels said the company is targeting a 15-20% growth in bookings during Diwali over last year.