TRAVELERS ACROSS THE world are increasingly opting for short-haul destinations and making last-minute bookings over planned trips, according to a report from OYO Rooms. With a steady rise in vaccination coverage, combined with the easing of restrictions across regions, travelers have embraced the spirit of travel wholeheartedly, especially during holidays and festive long weekends.
Oyo's Mid Season Global Holiday Trends 2021 report said that Labor Day in U.S., Gandhi Jayanthi in India, Ascension Day in Europe and Summer Holidays in UK were the most popular holidays among travelers this year.
According to the report, Labor Day, New Year’s, Martin Luther King Jr Day, Memorial Day and Thanksgiving are America’s most travelled holidays. Coastal hotspots such as Seattle and Miami have been wildly popular during public holidays, followed by California’s Nevada City, Houston and Dallas, the report added.
AAA Travel forecast that 53.4 million Americans would travel for Thanksgiving this year, and a survey from Motel 6 found that 82 percent of holiday travelers believe it is important to spend that time with loved ones. However, another survey from the American Hotel & Lodging Association found only 29 percent of Americans are likely to travel for Thanksgiving and 33 percent are likely to travel for Christmas.
In India, most of the holiday travel started with Janmashtami in August, followed by Ganesh Chaturthi and Dussehra which saw a spike in bookings in October.
"Indian travelers preferred spending their holidays across the country’s beautiful tourist destinations such as Jaipur, Goa, Visakhapatnam, Kochi and Udaipur during the festive season. Interestingly, short-haul destinations continue to be the go-to option for travelers across the country over long weekends. Some of the top short-haul destinations are Lonavala, Pondicherry, Shimla, Mysore," the report said.
"All of these destinations sit close to mainstream cities of Mumbai, Chennai, Chandigarh, Delhi and Bangalore, indicating that city folks are looking for respite closer to home. The long weekend of Dussehra saw a hike in demand, with an increase in trips to nearby destinations for a quick break."
The Oyo Rooms report added that Ascension Day, Halloween, Pentecost, Easter emerged as Europe’s favorite holidays to travel. Denmark was Europe’s most popular travel destination for a majority of public holidays. Europeans book an average stay of around 5 nights to celebrate the holiday and experience local offerings. In 2021, Halloween saw an overall uptick of 71 percent in comparison to 2019. Denmark, Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and France were the top five destinations for the holidays of Ascension Day, Halloween and Pentecost, the report added.
In the UK, May and August bank holidays were the peak holiday season. Summer and Spring school holidays respectively have topped the UK’s most travelled holiday’s list. London, Bath, Blackpool, Scotland and Great Yarmouth were the most travelled destinations during these holidays.
According to the report, the average stay during the holidays was around two nights in the UK. The major concern for travelers for now is the latest COVID-19 variant Omicron which has led to new restrictions on some international travel over the Thanksgiving weekend.
