Heatwave drives early rush to hill stations, bookings surge

New Delhi: Heatwave conditions in several parts of India are leading to a 'huge' uptick in demand for cooler destinations such as Dehradun, Munnar, Kodaikanal, Manali and Mussoorie, pushing advance bookings for hotels and alternative accommodation providers. Travel companies said an early onset of adverse conditions has also led to people pushing summer holidays ahead of the usual school break schedule.

Anil Kalsi, board member, Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism and Hospitality (FAITH) said the industry body is expecting a 'very healthy' growth in domestic tourism this summer season. “Hot weather has led to a huge demand in queries for cooler hill stations. Munnar in Kerala has seen a significant jump in queries, and it is being favoured by those who were planning trips abroad,” said Kalsi. “Kodaikanal is also benefiting from adverse weather conditions. Closer to Delhi, we hear people are travelling in droves to destinations such as Mussoorie,” he added.

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Vibhas Prasad, director of Leisure Hotels Group said leisure destinations are witnessing a strong early surge in demand amid the ongoing heatwave, with bookings rising from 2800 to over 4,000 room nights week-on-week. Prasad said growth is especially visible across hill and riverfront escapes and at the chain’s properties such as The Naini Retreat, Nainital, Aloha On The Ganges in Rishikesh and The Belvedere in Mcleodganj.

Hotel rates for some branded premium hotels in destinations such as Shimla and Dehradun are hovering around Rs 16,000- Rs 24,000 per night for the upcoming weekend.

The summer travel season has clearly started earlier this year, said Pranav Dangi, CEO and co-founder of Hosteller. “In South India, destinations such as Ooty, Kodaikanal, Munnar, and Coorg are seeing a 15% growth in bookings compared to last year. In the North region, destinations such as Musoorie, Manali, Mcleodganj, Kasol and Shimla have recorded a 10% growth in bookings compared to last year,” said Dangi.

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Anup Thakur, president of Kullu Manali Paryatan Vikas Mandal is expecting a packed season in May and June. “The weather is really good here as it is snowing in the upper regions. We expect a consistent uptick in occupancies due to extreme heat wave conditions in neighbouring regions,” he added. Nakul Khullar, director of the Baragarh Resort & Spa IHCL SeleQtions property in Manali said occupancies are better than last year. "Weather is pleasant here in the hills, but in plains there is a heat wave," he added.

Manjari Singhal, chief growth and business officer at Cleartrip said the intense heatwave has given rise to 'coolcations', where travellers are choosing high-altitude retreats to escape extreme temperatures.

"Cooler destinations such as Rishikesh, Varanasi, and Leh, alongside Northeast gems like Guwahati, Shillong, Imphal, and Dimapur, are all witnessing significant double-digit growth," she added.

Santosh Kumar, regional manager, South Asia at Booking.com said hill stations like Ooty, Darjeeling, Rishikesh, Munnar and Manali rank among the top 10 most searched domestic destinations for summer (May–June) travel.