Travel demand ticks, industry gears up

With the ease of lockdown and lowering figures of covid-19 cases in the country, the Indian population has once again packed their bags and headed out of their homes to either spend leisure or bleisure time with family and friends.

Being confined within the four walls for most of the year in 2020 and then again in 2021 is one of the major reasons amongst the travellers to move out. Travel aggregators and hospitality industry are reporting a sudden surge in bookings, both for the ‘staycation’ and ‘workcation’ segments.

According to MakeMyTrip, there has been a sudden jump of nearly 200 per cent in hotel bookings in June. “A majority of the bookings have been made for states where lockdown restrictions have been relaxed considerably,” shares Vipul Prakash, Chief Operating Officer, MakeMyTrip.

Noticing the confidence among consumers, Prakash informs, “Booking patterns on MakeMyTrip indicate that the confidence is building back in travel with cancellations being limited to 10 per cent of overall bookings made on the platform in June. This is equivalent to the number of cancellations in February this year.”

With different guidelines and rules in every state, the travellers are enquiring through travel operators to have a seamless experience. Thomas Cook reports 30 per cent increase in holidays demand whereas SOTC informed a week-on-week 35 to 40 per cent increase of enquiries.

Happy to see the positive movement in the industry, K.B. Kachru, VP, Hotel Association of India & Chairman Emeritus & Principal Advisor, South Asia, Radisson Hotel Group, says, “There is a positive sentiment from the market as many people have got themselves vaccinated and are now comfortable traveling. The leisure locations are attracting attention and at most of these locations, it seems to be consistent, particularly in terms of future booking patterns.”

He adds that their member hotels are following all protocols to provide safe and hygienic environment for the travellers. “Additionally, the hoteliers are trying to get their entire staff vaccinated to ensure maximum safety. We insist our guests to be careful and follow all Covid appropriate behaviour as it would help them enjoy their travel to the fullest,” Kachru puts in.

ITC Hotels in the north too are witnessing an overwhelming response with the ease on restrictions. Brijesh Sharma, Area Sales Manager, Leisure Luxury Hotels (North), ITC Hotels, says, “Drivecation and Safe Staycations, which gained popularity last year, are not just fads but here to stay. ITC Rajputana in Jaipur has seen immense popularity among those looking for a weekend getaway. Additionally, ITC Mughal in Agra, which re-opened for guests recently, has seen a great response for staycations. It is also becoming a favourite daycation destination.”

JW Marriott Mussoorie Walnut Grove Resort & Spa also reports a 30 per cent surge in the bookings, owing to the location of the resort and being at a comfortable driving distance from major cities in north India like Delhi-NCR, Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. “The lead time of bookings has drastically reduced, from an earlier seen 15 days earlier to an average of four days now. There has been a significant increase in the minimum length of stay that has increased from two to four days now as people want to stay in a safe environment for a longer duration,” shares Chitra Awasthi, Director of Sales & Marketing at the JW Marriott Mussoorie Walnut Grove Resort & Spa.

Commenting on the revival of tourism, Madan Prasad Bezbaruah, Secretary General, Hotel Association of India (HAI) expresses that the industry was bound to get back on its feet once the restrictions are lifted. “This is perhaps going to happen but whether it is the right time or not, is difficult thing to say. It depends on the level of confidence in the vaccination system and overall situation which will decide whether people will go for an outing or not,” he says.

Data from IHCL, also known as Taj Hotels, indicates that the booking demands at destinations such as Rajasthan, Rishikesh, Theog and Corbett in the north. “The city hotels in Delhi have seen many takers for staycations, especially over weekends,” the IHCL spokesperson puts in.

Looking at the pent up demand in the tourism and hospitality industry post second Covid-19 wave, all stakeholders of the industry advice and request the travellers to be responsible and safe.