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: it being the ‘best climate’ to visit the tea plantations, mountains and the backwaters. Other hot favorites among travellers are Rajasthan and the perpetual demand for Goa. “We did witness a minor slowdown in business, but now it is picking up,” says Neelu Singh, COO, Ezeego1.com . “There has been a 10-15% dip in flights due to the ATF hike and consecutive terrorist activities, with a supplementary softness in hotels of about 5-10%.”

Where are tourists looking for while booking a holiday? “I have an annual budget for a holiday,” says Scott Fernandes, an avid traveler. “Any holiday I book should factor in the airfare.” Concurs Arup Sen, Executive Director, Cox and Kings India, “Packages with offers like cash back, super savers are always attractive. The preferred days range from 10-15 days, while destinations are wholly dependent on the budget of the traveller.” The average budget for a domestic holiday is pegged at 35-50,000, say tourism companies.

The most holiday packages that people are opting for are customised FIT tours, wherein customers can enjoy more varied dining experiences, shopping and spa treatments. Says Deep Kalra, CEO & Founder, MakeMyTrip.com, “Wine tours and wildlife are gaining favour among travellers. Mono destination trips instead of multi city / country hops are also becoming quite popular.”

There are some foreign destinations that will continue to remain favourites, says tour companies, such as South East Asia (Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand), Mauritius and Switzerland. There has been increased interest and awareness regarding Bali, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Scotland, Finland too. Analysts say easy access to information and increased disposable income has transformed travelling drastically. As a result travellers have been taking more frequent and shorter breaks. Easy availability of loans to finance travel needs has also given a shot in the arm to the tourism industry. “The popular ones are Egyptian Explorer, for five nights and six days at a cost of Rs 34,699; Kenya holiday, four nights/five days Rs 57,758. The cost for a holiday in France and Switzerland for seven nights/eight days Rs 65,419,” says Singh.