End-of-season summer holidays are cheaper, says report

Of the top-five domestic summer destinations, four were cheapest for people travelling in mid or late July stated the report

Leisure holidays booked towards the end of the summer holidays could be significantly cheaper than those booked earlier, stated a report that compared trip budgets for the peak travel period between May and July.

Hindustan Times

The Summer Travel Value Report by travel advisory portal, TripAdvisor, was based on an algorithm of popular destination searches on its website and combined prices for stay, air travel and meals for a week.

Of the top five domestic summer destinations, four were cheapest for people travelling around mid or late July, stated the report. For instance, a tourist travelling to Srinagar in the week starting July 25 would spend Rs67,163 for a week-long holiday, which is 14% cheaper than the season’s peak price to the city, the report added.

The cost was calculated by adding seven-night hotel stay, average round trip airfares (originating from Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore) and the price of regular meals in a day for a person. The report took the value of the US dollar on May 12 at Rs66.60 for the purpose of conversions.

“This is the peak travel time in India considering the break from schools and colleges. Travellers can use the findings in the report to save up to 28% for domestic and 32% for international destinations during the least expensive summer week compared to the peak seasonal rates,” said Nikhil Ganju, country manager, TripAdvisor India.

The booking pattern was similar for foreign trips searched by Indians. Of the top five international destinations, Paris was the cheapest for those travelling during the week starting July 25. At a collective cost of Rs1,68,711 for one person, the city, consider one of steepest in Europe, was 21% cheaper than peak summer rates, the report said.

With a collective holiday cost of Rs81,236 per person, Srinagar was the most expensive domestic destination this summer among the 10 popular places, most of which comprised hill stations. The price difference was primarily owing to the higher airfare

Among international destinations, New York was the steepest with an average budget of Rs2.77 lakh per person, more than 28% of which accounted for the long air travel, the report said.