India vacays in Jaipur, Kerala, Goa, Visakhapatnam, Varanasi this Diwali: OYO
As India gradually unlocks, more people are now ready to step out and explore domestic hidden gems with road trips across the country, reveals OYO data.
As India gradually unlocks, more and more people are now ready to step out, exploring domestic hidden gems while ensuring personal safety and hygiene.
Hotels & Homes reveals, after staying home for months, this Diwali, Indians are preferring inter-state road trips and beach destinations, with some of the most popular destinations being Jaipur, Kerala, Goa, Visakhapatnam, and Varanasi.
According to OYO’s Diwali booking trends data, Jaipur is the most popular choice among travellers across North India, with an influx of tourists from nearby cities like Delhi-NCR and Lucknow.
Across South India, travellers from Chennai and Bangalore are heading out on road trips to Kochi in Kerala, the southwest coast of India. Goa, India’s beach capital, on the other hand, is attracting travellers from across the country. The majority of bookings are from Pune, followed by Bangalore and Hyderabad.
Harshit Vyas, SVP and COO - Franchise Business, OYO India & South Asia, said, “The festive season combined with gradual unlocks has resulted in a surge in leisure travel since September 2020. As states open up their borders to welcome tourists, OYO and the entire hospitality industry continue to offer safe experiences that lead to rising consumer confidence among travellers...We expect leisure destinations to continue gaining momentum in the coming months with rising consumer optimism for travel."
Interestingly, OYO is also expecting leisure travel to bounce back in India. As per the hospitality unicorn's Diwali booking trends, it is witnessing the intent to book is at almost 100 percent levels as compared to Pre-COVID-19 numbers for consumers visiting the OYO platform and the traffic is at over 50 percent.
"As more and more travellers are exploring local hidden gems resulting in a boost in domestic travel, we are keen to support this trend with our robust presence across 28 states and 8 UTs. As we move forward, we are confident that the current trend will continue with month-on-month growth in 2HFY21," said Yatish Jain, Head of Online Revenue and Marketing, South Asia - OYO Hotels & Homes.
Ritesh Agarwal, Founder and CEO, OYO
Yatish further shared that according to OYO's consumer use cases, 57 percent of respondents wish to travel for leisure, with approximately 61 percent respondents stating that they had already decided the destination for their coming vacation.
"This is a testament to the steady comeback of travel in the next few months. However, while doing so, 67 percent of these consumers are also seeking safe stays. Understanding that safety is the consumer’s topmost priority, we at OYO will continue our efforts to ensure safe and hygienic practices with our Contactless Check-ins and Sanitised Before Your Eyes initiatives," he added.
As per the overall travel trends across India, between April 2020 and September 2020, there has been an uptick in bookings across business destinations including Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Kolkata.
On the other hand, among leisure cities, OYO’s booking data also highlights that some cities like Shimla, Manali, Munnar, Ooty, and Gangtok that didn’t enjoy high demand compared to other tourist hotspots during pre-COVID-19 are now increasingly showing positive signs of rising bookings since September 2020.
In Shimla, OYO observed a whopping 280 percent month-on-month growth in bookings for September 2020. Additionally, according to OYO’s recent consumer survey, while there’s a surge in demand for leisure travel across the country, 80 percent of users are searching for sanitised stays, while 46 percent of users seek regulation-related information while planning their next travel.
Edited by Saheli Sen Gupta