Bookings for destinations across the northern cities of the country and to a bunch of tourist hotspots have seen a spike during the Holi long weekend.
According to data supplied by online travel platform ixigo, there has been an average 45-50% year on year (y-o-y) increase in flight bookings close to the festival, driven by a mix of homebound travel, leisure getaways and spiritual tourism.
Additionally, cultural hotspots have also witnessed a surge in demand. Flight bookings to Ayodhya have skyrocketed by 50% y-o-y, while Varanasi and Amritsar have seen a 20-30% increase.
The surge in booking for Tier-2 and 3 cities is largely due due to those coming back home for the Holi weekend. Gorakhpur, the third busiest airport of Uttar Pradesh, is seeing the highest increase at 154% y-o-y among these cities.
According to SkyScanner, for a Holi weekend, a flight to Varanasi from Delhi is priced at Rs 11,900, which is more than twice the usual rate. A Delhi-Goa flight is priced at Rs 15,900 which is also more than twice the usual fare.
The March uptick is primarily driven by the festival of colours, which falls on Friday, allowing many to utilise the long weekend. Traditionally, it has been a lean month for aviation since students across the country are busy with their annual exams.
While demand for air travel starts to pick up again in April and May, airlines are resorting to discounts between mid-March and mid-September to fill seats as the monsoon season brings with itself the leanest demand period of the year.
IndiGo, the country’s largest carrier, is offering seats starting at Rs 1,199 on domestic sectors and Rs 4,199 on international routes. In addition, it is providing discounts on excess baggage, and on seat selection and pre-booked meals.
Low cost carriers Air India Express and Akasa Air have a ‘Holi Flash Sale’ running with fares starting from Rs 1,499. Regional carrier Star Air is offering fares starting at Rs 999 for economy and Rs 3,099 for business class, all-inclusive.
Rajnish Kumar, Group Co-CEO, ixigo, said, “With airlines rolling out attractive discounts, it’s a great opportunity for travellers to book their trips at affordable fares. Among domestic leisure getaways, Andaman and Nicobar Islands have emerged as the top pick for travellers this Holi.”
From the usual highs of more than 90%, the average passenger load factor at the country’s top three airlines on March 11 stayed at 80-82%.