Mumbaiites are opting for staycations this long weekend

Travel portals tracking holiday bookings said there has been a 15% increase in bookings for staycations and wellness holidays

With the long Eid weekend coinciding with the onset of monsoon, Mumbaiites are preferring staycations — stay at a resort close to the city where they can indulge in ayurvedic massages or spa treatments.

Travel portals tracking holiday bookings said there has been a 15% increase in bookings for staycations and wellness holidays, as compared to the last long weekend in May. (Shutterstock/Photo used for representational purpose)

Travel portals tracking holiday bookings said there has been a 15% increase in bookings for staycations and wellness holidays, as compared to the last long weekend in May when people thronged hill stations and destinations closer to Mumbai. Also, bookings for international destinations have increased.

Neelu Singh, CEO and director of Ezeego, said, “For the upcoming long weekend, we are seeing a huge demand for destinations in and around Maharashtra. We have registered the highest bookings for Tarkarli, Mahabaleshwar, Matheran, Kamshet, Pune, Lonavala, Alibaug, Gokarna, Kudal and Goa. We also noticed that staycations are very popular this weekend, especially among Dual Income No Kids (DINKS) and youngsters.”

Cox & Kings said the demand for holidays has surged 15% for the upcoming Eid weekend. Karan Anand, head of public relationships, said, “ As monsoon has already arrived in most parts of India, especially in south and western India, we have seen an increase in wellness vacations. Customers prefer to spend their weekends indulging in spa treatments and ayurvedic massages. Staycations at luxury resorts are in demand once again, mainly for the off season discount offered during monsoon. Families and individual travellers see this as an opportunity to enjoy luxury within their budget.

Rajeev Kale, president and country head of MICE, Thomas Cook (India), said Indian travellers have made a shift from single annual vacation to shorter and more frequent trips within India and international destinations. “Indians are counting days to the long weekend, and a few well-earned days off work this upcoming long weekend. There has been a rise in number of people travelling to international destinations as compared to the same period last year. Our data revealed that Asia is the most preferred destination for Indian travellers, “he added.