If you are a travel freak or want to extend the festive mid-week into a holiday jaunt with your family, it is way better to travel to Dubai that pick some of the hot inland destinations like Goa or Kochi, simply for the fact that airfares to Dubai are much cheaper at this time compared with destinations like Dehradun, Kochi or Goa.
Booked around 10-12 days in advance, flight tickets to the popular tourist destinations in the country have become dearer by 75-150 per cent. Despite air fares remaining at least 40 per cent higher for key tourist destinations, last-minute inquiries for trips continue to pour in, which is further spiking costs. The return air fare to Dehradun is Rs 23,000 per person, and for Goa, it’s Rs 24,000 per person when booked for the September 7 to 10 period. Ironically, in contrast, an air trip to Dubai in the same period is costing around Rs 19,000 per person.
Bookings to destinations such as Jaipur, Jodhpur, and Jaisalmer in Rajasthan, as well as Goa, Puducherry and Kerala, remain strong, say travel agents. Due to an increase in last-minute bookings, the prices of round-trip flights to several destinations have risen significantly.
With Janmashtami falling on September 7, a Thursday, many Amdavadis who have an off on a second Saturday are planning to take leave on September 8 and enjoy a mini vacation. This clearly reflects in the air fares going skywards.
This time, many holidaymakers have booked air tickets and hotels well in advance. This has led to higher air fares and concerns over availability for those booking last minute. While nearby destinations like Udaipur, Mt Abu, Jawai, Saputara, Daman, Silvassa, Diu, Gir, Nashik and Shirdi are popular among tourists, certain groups are also choosing long-haul and international destinations.
Himachal Pradesh is no longer a hot destination this time due to the landslides and floods causing much devastation in the Kullu-Manali region this year. This has meant windfall for hill stations in Uttarakhand, including Dehradun, Rishikesh, Nainital, and Mussoorie.
Some new destinations include Nashik and the nearby vineyards, Karjat, and Puducherry. Additionally, direct flights have increased the popularity of Baku in Azerbaijan among tourists, along with Dubai and Singapore. Gambling around Janmashtami is an age-old tradition, and those heading to casinos won’t see beyond Goa.
Even resorts at nearby destinations are in high demand, resulting in a 20 per cent jump in tariffs during this period, sources said.
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