GOA COORG LONAVALA
Independence Day 2025: Planning a staycation from Delhi, Mumbai or Bangalore? Check latest weather forecast first
Independence Day 2025: As India prepares for its 79th Independence Day on August 15, 2025, citizens are planning getaways to various destinations. From the hills of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh to the lush landscapes near Bangalore and Mumbai, options abound. However, travelers should note weather advisories, including heavy rainfall warnings in several states, potentially impacting travel plans.
Independence Day Long Weekend: Hotel occupancy, room rates set to climb on travel surge
Hotel occupancy and room tariffs across India are poised for an increase during the Independence Day long weekend, driven by strong travel demand. Top domestic destinations include Goa, Udaipur, and Jaipur, while international hotspots are Pattaya, Bali, and Bangkok. Industry experts anticipate a surge in bookings and a rise in average room rates compared to the previous year.
H2 of FY2026 should be better than H1: Mahesh Iyer, MD and CEO, Thomas Cook (India)
Thomas Cook (India) faced challenges in Q1 due to geopolitical issues and visa restrictions, impacting forex revenue. Despite this, the company remains optimistic, anticipating a stronger second half driven by travel aspirations and economic factors. They are focusing on customized holidays and expanding in Tier II and III markets, while also growing their leisure hospitality portfolio.
StayVista plans to hire over 1000 hospitality professionals in FY26
StayVista, a luxury villa rental platform, announced its ambitious plan to hire over 1,000 hospitality experts in financial year 2026. This recruitment drive aims to bolster on-ground service teams across its 1,000+ villas nationwide, focusing on roles like housekeeping, guest relations, and F&B. The hiring will prioritize emerging regions such as Goa, Coorg, Lonavala, and Himachal Pradesh.
Hotels gear up for busy Independence Day weekend
Hotels and resorts across India are experiencing high demand for the Independence Day long weekend, with many destinations already significantly booked. Room tariffs have increased by 10-15% compared to last year, driven by travelers seeking premium experiences. Popular destinations include Goa, Udaipur, Lonavala, and spiritual circuits, with cruise tourism also seeing a surge in interest.
So long, vacation! Time for summer of staycations: Indians dive into shorter, curated experiences closer to home
Amidst geopolitical uncertainties and rising temperatures, Indian travelers are increasingly favoring staycations. Families are opting for short, local, and experiential getaways, driven by convenience, disposable incomes, and a desire for instant gratification. This summer, curated experiences like heritage walks and culinary retreats are defining the trend, blending leisure and productivity for a seamless escape.
- Go To Page 1
Why only sentiment should not drive your decision to buy second home; ensure it yields good returns, is a strategic investment
Driven by lifestyle upgrades and convenience, Indians are increasingly investing in second homes in scenic locations, supported by improved infrastructure and a desire for wellness. However, investing in these properties, which offer rental yields and capital appreciation, requires careful consideration of usage, maintenance, and legal aspects to ensure a sound investment aligned with one's broader financial strategies.
Holiday travel trends 2024: Goa tops charts as India plans extended festive getaways
Goa tops travel searches for the upcoming holiday season. Hill stations like Manali and Mussoorie are also popular. Azerbaijan and Malaysia lead international searches. The travel rush peaks on December 21st, extending through Christmas and New Year. Make My Trip data reveals Indians are eager to travel both domestically and internationally.
Travel, hospitality service providers see surge in demand for extended weekend
Indian travelers are showing increased interest in travel for the upcoming Independence Day and Raksha Bandhan long weekend to top domestic destinations including Goa, Udaipur, Mumbai, and Lonavala. MakeMyTrip and Airbnb reported a surge in bookings for both domestic and international travel. Southern cities in India saw significant growth and a preference for accessible domestic locations. International destinations like Bangkok, Singapore, and Dubai are also popular choices for Indian travelers.
After busy summer, travel biz hots up in monsoon too
India's travel bookings surged 25% this monsoon. Rajeev Kale cites value and discounts. Hotel tariffs dropped 20-40%. Leisure Hotels, Radisson, SOTC see growth. Premium rates in Goa, Kerala, Coorg. Top short-hauls: Bhutan, Sri Lanka. Mehul Sharma's Signum Resort, Igatpuri occupancy up 24%. Popular: Malabar river festival, Alappuzha boat race, Dubare Elephant Camp.
A home away from home? Travellers take to the hills to beat summer heat
Villas continue to be the dominant preference driver in the homestays, alternative accommodation category experiencing significant growth this summer, said MakeMyTrip co-founder and group CEO Rajesh Magow. "Leading the surge are prime leisure destinations such as Ooty, Lonavala, Coorg and Mahabaleshwar. Goa is experiencing the maximum growth in villa bookings closely followed by Alibaug and Kodaikanal," he added.
The great holiday rush: This New Year season, Indians are travelling like never before, and the world is opening up to them
As per MakeMyTrip data, the top destinations for the last week of December in the domestic sector include Goa, Rajasthan, Varanasi, Kerala, Rishikesh and Kashmir. In terms of international flight bookings, popular destinations such as the UAE, Thailand, Singapore, and Indonesia continue to be favourites. There is also a "significant" increase for Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, and Kazakhstan, Magow said.
Hotel, travel companies take a hit as rains lash North India
Amit Damani, co-founder of villa and bungalow rental company StayVista, said business has been impacted in the hills of North India and it would be down by 50%."Interestingly, demand has increased at places such as Sohna and Kurukshetra as people are rescheduling their holiday destination," he added.
Hotel, resort rooms sold out as demand soars for first full Christmas-New Year party after two years
The domestic hospitality industry is gearing up to make the most of full-fledged Christmas and New Year celebrations this time around after two years of washout by the pandemic, with rooms at many hotels and resorts already sold out.
Uptick in Covid cases fails to ground long weekend plans
Bookings are expected to gain further momentum from Monday. August 11-15 is being touted as one of the longest weekends of the year with travellers looking to be off from Rakhi on Thursday till Independence Day on Monday, and restaurants, hotels and travel companies have launched special offers and deals.
More Developers, Hoteliers warming up to Branded Residences
Branded residences is catching up in the country with more hotel chains and developers warming up to the idea as the threat of Covid-19 waves.
India Inc offsites are back as pandemic concerns ease
Experts say the last two years had been extremely stressful for everyone and the hybrid working model affected the mental health of a majority of employees. Offsites can be the perfect way to get back to socialising, communicating better, driving company culture and making work easier.
Travellers from India's major metros 'escape' for a breath of clean air
EaseMyTrip has seen a jump in bookings from Delhi and Mumbai for hill stations such as Ooty and Manali amongst others. Ixigo said owing to the increasing levels of pollution in metro cities, more and more people are planning 'green getaways'.
The fate of vacation homes is tied to the future of work
Remote working gave birth to workation in India. Will reopening of offices now kill it?
Massive surge in travel expected for upcoming long weekend
Online travel platforms, hotel chains and travel service providers expect bumper travel this Dussehra, with bookings coming in thick and fast for itineraries ranging from jungle safaris to the hills and beaches.
Travellers head to villas, homestays as Covid wave abates
Bookings and queries increase for properties offering more safety and privacy, with some completely full on weekends. Tariffs for premium and luxury private villas and homes are Rs 40,000-50,000 a night depending on the number of rooms and guests. Below that level, it could cost about Rs 20,000 for a three-four bedroom property.
Indians want to travel with family during Christmas-NY break; Dubai, Australia most-preferred destinations
In India, Goa, Manali and Udaipur continue to attract travellers during this period.
MakeMyTrip looks to add over 10,000 alternative accommodations in India in 2020
"As travel growth continues to beat market estimates, we aim to add more than 10,000 alternative accommodation properties in India in the coming year. Additionally, we are bullish on achieving double-digit growth in the segment in the next 12 months," MakeMyTrip COO Vipul Prakash told PTI.
Tour operators expect robust business this festive season
Players such as Cox & Kings, Cleartrip, Expedia see significant uptick in bookings compared to last year on the back of cheaper deals and offers.
Sterling Holiday Resorts to add up to 1,000 rooms by March 2020
"We will add between 800 to 1,000 rooms by the end of fiscal year 2020 primarily through management contract model," Sterling Holiday Resorts MD Ramesh Ramanathan said.
6 adventure trips you should try this summer and their costs
Find out the cost of revving up your adrenaline through these thrilling sports activities this summer across various locations.
Hotels and travel portals gear up for long weekends in August
Travel portals are expecting an average 50% jump in bookings this month with people looking for quick weekend getaways by clubbing their leaves with off days.
Attractive deals make monsoon best time for travel
New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chennai were the top five cities from where the maximum number of bookings for monsoon travel packages were recorded.
Long weekend travel options
With two long weekends around Aug 15 coming up (Janmashtami on Fri, Aug 10 and Ramzan Eid on Mon, Aug 20), ET-Travel lists great family getaways
Load More
