July 19, 2017 TnH Global 0

The Monsoon Calling Reasons Galore To Explore India in the Monsoon

India is a land of rich diversity. It has several seasons, each having its own charm. Coming as it does after the Summer, the Monsoon is one of the best seasons to explore and experience Incredible India, and its natural beauty, the beautiful lush greens, the cool breezy weather and more. Therefore, embark on exploring India this monsoon and get soaked in the rain.

Monsoon offers relief from scorching heat. Cloudy sky and monsoon showers make the weather pleasant and soothing. Rainfall increases the beauty of the country. It is the best season to experience and enjoy the scenic beauty of many regions of the country. Holidaying in the monsoon is a fun-filled experience in India. It is attractive to travel in the Monsoon as airlines, travel companies and hotels offer discounts and attractive prices to boost demand in the off season. Year 2017 offers more opportunities to travel during the Monsoon as there is a number of long weekends.

The Monsoon in India has traditionally been considered an off season for tourists, but this perception is gradually fading away, as more and more Indians travel inside the country during the Monsoon. It is the best time to see the mystical beauty and natural landscapes of the country. There are so much to explore in the country during the rains, such as mountains, lakes, local life, cultures and cuisine. The Monsoon is ideal season for activities and experiences like trekking, wellness and Ayurvedic Therapies, spa etc. The Monsoon is considered ideal season to get the benefit of Ayurveda.

In the Monsoon, places like Rishikesh, Sikkim, Meghalaya, Goa, Alleppey, Bhimashankar, Ladakh, beaches of Kovalam, Varkala, hill retreats of Munnar and Vagamon, backwaters of Kumarakom and Kuttanad, forests of Thekkady are ideal places to visit. There are many other beautiful locations to visit in the season.

Explaining the significance of the Monsoon for tourists, Rajeev Kale, President & Country Head, Leisure Travel & MICE at Thomas Cook (India), said “Between the summer vacation and the next festive/ Diwali break, the monsoons offer our Indian consumers a delightful opportunity to escape from the hectic pace of everyday work life and indulge in some much needed rest and rejuvenation and the rains showcasing the country at her best.” Thomas Cook India has witnessed impressive growth this monsoon due to great value prices and discounts being offered by hotels and airlines.

In India, the summer vacations start in April and end in July, which is the peak season for the Indian outbound market, says Karan Anand—Head, Relationships, Cox & Kings Ltd. “Concept of lean season is no more. The number of Indians travelling within India and overseas has grown over the years. Those who missed out on summer vacations prefer to travel during the monsoon,” said Anand. For the monsoon season, Cox & Kings is offering a number of packages to domestic destinations such as Goa, Kerala, Rajasthan, Kashmir and Tamil Nadu.

The Monsoon is time to avail discounts and attractive offers. “Off-season vacations have their own perks as both travel and accommodation can be availed at cheaper rates,” said Sharat Dhall, COO (B2C), Yatra.com. “The traffic is driven by airlines announcing sales in advance to stimulate early bookings. While families with kids plan their vacation around the summer vacations as most schools reopen in June, others prefer to take short breaks over the long weekends,” added Dhall. Discounts vary from destination to destination but one is likely to get more hotel deals because of a larger inventory being available. Kerala, which is a tourist favourite, offers special discounts on hotels and resorts to attract customers during the off season. Bhandardara, Mawsynram, Lonavala, Kodaikanal, Munnar and the Spiti Valley are some of the offbeat destinations that attract travellers during the lean period.

During the monsoons, demand for short getaways is high. Companies like Thomas Cook is witnessing strong uptake for short getaways, extended weekend breaks, self-drive trips and outdoor-adventure trips with family and friends. India’s working millennial opting for such getaways. “We have seen that monsoons have had scant impact on the travel hungry Indian consumers wanting to avail packages at great rates where they save approximately 15-20% on tour packages compared to peak season rates; and this is in addition to the potential of significant discounts courtesy offers on airfares that most carriers announce to fill up distressed inventory given that this is their traditional low season,” said Kale. This trend of maximizing/ leveraging low season monsoon rates is especially high among India’s budget travellers. Hotels provide many attractive offers and add-on values given low demand. “Due to the allure of low season pricing, we are seeing an increase in demand for quick getaways from our travel enthusiasts in India. Domestic locales like Ladakh and Leh, Valley of Flowers – Uttarakhand, Goa, Kerala, Corbett and Meghalaya are the top getaways this monsoon season extremely popular with our consumers,” says Thatte.

Thomas Cook has noticed that demand has been emerging strongly from India’s tier 2 & 3 markets. It has designed special Monsoon itineraries around domestic destinations ranging from `4,999 to `11,999 (per person, on twin sharing basis).

Monsoons offer some much needed rest and rejuvenation through extended weekend getaways with family and friends. “Traditionally, monsoon is considered to be a good time to indulge in rejuvenating wellness therapies. Resorts and wellness centres lure tourists with attractive holiday packages during the monsoon. Others find adventure a thrilling experience in the monsoons,” says Amod Thatte- Head Product, Contracting & Innovation, SOTC Travel.

According to Mansoor Adil, Senior Executive VP – Sarovar Hotels & Resorts, Business hotels are lesser affected by off season, unlike leisure hotels. During the lean period at leisure hotels, we focus on the MICE business and attractive promotional packages to drive business during this period. Our database of frequent visitors comes in handy. We offer promotional discounts driven through our website and OTAs in addition to strategic tie-ups and packages with credit card and airline companies.

For the lean/monsoon season, Sarovar Hotels & Resorts are doing promotional tie-ups with select credit card and airline companies. It is also doing cross promotional activities within its hotels. There are promotions and discounts offered on its website specially for the off-season. “We are offering a 20 % discount on Best Available Rate (BAR) bookable on our brand website through June and July. This offer is being promoted through e-Mailers, Banner on our website and Social Media posts,” said Adil.

Demand and sales of monsoon holiday packages is growing over the years. This year SOTC is witnessing a growth of over 15 % in sales of monsoon holiday packages over last year. “At SOTC, we have designed special itineraries offering great value for money for our price sensitive consumers and these packages have been picked up by travellers in a big way. Packages start at an average pricing of `30,000 per person depending on the destination,” said Thatte, adding that domestic tourists have started coming out in large numbers during the monsoons.

The Monsoon Calling:

• Check out good holiday packages at attractive rates for travel in India

• Save money 15-20% on your holidays by travelling in the Monsoons

• Sales of monsoon holiday packages are growing over the years

• Sales of monsoon holiday packages to grow 15 % this year.