Leading Searches This Monsoon Season: Top Picks for Rainy Travel

As the monsoon season sweeps across India, travel enthusiasts are turning their attention to popular leisure spots. Lonavala, Udaipur, Jaipur, Ooty, and Mussoorie are currently topping the search trends for rainy season getaways on Booking.com. Additionally, many Indians are exploring international escapes, with Dubai, Singapore, and Colombo emerging as the preferred short-haul destinations.

India’s travel industry is seeing a remarkable surge, with bookings up by 25% compared to last year. This trend, reported by The Economic Times, highlights how attractive discounts and promotions from airlines and hotels are fueling this increased interest. Rajeev Kale, president and country head for Holidays, MICE, and Visa at Thomas Cook (India), noted that various promotions, such as discounted rates, extended stays, and complimentary airport transfers, are significantly boosting demand.

Kale also mentioned that hotel tariffs for popular monsoon destinations have dropped by approximately 20-40% compared to the peak summer season. Premium hotel rates in Goa range from Rs 14,000 to Rs 27,000 per night, in Kerala from Rs 12,000 to Rs 45,000 per night, and in Coorg from Rs 20,000 to Rs 32,000 per night during July and August.

Nikhil Sharma, MD and ASVP for South Asia at Radisson Hotel Group, observed a promising trend for the hospitality sector despite the monsoon typically being a slower travel period. There has been a 9% increase in demand in July compared to the previous year.

Daniel Dsouza, president and country head for holidays at SOTC Travel, noted an uptick in travel to international destinations with visa-on-arrival facilities. Short-haul destinations like Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Bali, Malaysia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia are seeing a roughly 20% annual increase in demand.

The Mastercard Economics Institute’s report, “Travel Trends 2024: Breaking Boundaries,” highlights a significant rise in air travel. In the first quarter of 2024 (January-March), Indian airports handled an impressive 97 million passengers, both domestic and international, as previously reported by Business Standard.

State tourism boards in India, such as those in Kerala and Karnataka, are also enhancing the travel experience by offering unique events and excursions like the Malabar river festival, the boat race in Alappuzha, and the Dubare Elephant Camp experience, further driving the demand for monsoon travel.