September 25, 2018 TnH Global 1

Top travel trends for Indians for this festive season

Munnmunn Marwah COO, Think Strawberries

Diwali spreads the spirit of the holiday season by Indians. Travel has always been a part of the festival break, and the trend of travelling solely during a festival break is gaining popularity.

Lights Show Away from Home

Diwali in India is perceived as a family-oriented festival- typically, a time for family members to be reunited in their familial homes to enjoy home-cooked food in a familiar setting. In this context, it is understandable why, during the festival season, many Indians pick destinations that remind them of the atmosphere of home.

Taiwan hosts the Sun Moon lake Cycling, Music and Fireworks festival in the months of October-November. A blend of arts and culture, and of leisure and sports, the festival has a myriad of activities most suitable for family vacations. To give a festive Diwali undertone to your vacation, end the festival nights by appreciating the incredible fireworks show overlooking the majestic Sun Moon lake. A culinary hotspot, there are surprisingly a number of restaurants in Taipei that serve authentic and hearty Indian food, so you won’t be missing the feasts being enjoyed by your family and friends at home.The most recommended Indian restaurants include Saffron, Mayur Indian Kitchen and Balle Balle Indian Restaurant.

Being off-season in most European destinations, you can also opt to enjoy the fireworks show at Disneyland Paris- an event much looked-forward to by visitors of all ages. After an almost exhaustingly enjoyable day at Disneyland, end the night watching the closing fireworks show- a thrilling experience for the entire family.

In Japan, the Tsuchiura Fireworks Competition is a great chance to see some of Japan’s best fireworks outside of the summer festivals, this fireworks display a competitive display admired across the country. Held in October on the Sakuragawa riverside in the Gakuen-ohashi area, there is plenty of seating with a good view. The newest designs and creations are displayed by the best pyrotechnicians in Japan, it originally started as a memorial event for officers who died during the war. The event is pretty long, lasting around two and a half hours. Grab some food from the street stalls along the way and get your seat early!

Spending Behaviour

Statistics show that Indians plan their vacations, booking accommodation and flights, in advance when they have holidays from work predicted. Most hotels, to ensure they fill up on inventory, offer early-bird schemes before traditional booking season. Festival travel deals have, in fact, made the season a more economical time to vacation, further giving Indian travellers the incentive to choose faraway destinations over staying home for Diwali.

Another factor that has changed travel trends are the bonuses received at the workplace during the festive time. With bookings done well in advance, the extra money from these bonuses has nurtured a culture of Indians spending more on sightseeing, food, adventure sports and other holiday activities.

Outbound Indians heading to the Gulf can choose from a variety of fun-filled, family-centred activities such as indoor skiing in Ski Dubai, a fun but learning session at Orbi Dubai, Adventureland in Sharjah’s Sahara Centre Mall, and so on. Those heading further West are recommended a visit to Orlando, a city dotted with theme parks that will bring out the inner child in you- a treat, whether or not you are travelling with small children.

Beach Holidays

Statistics show that the summer holidays are the busiest time in travel for Indians, followed by the Diwali holidays. However, Indian summers being notorious for the extreme temperatures, weather conditions make October-November the best time of the year to plan a tropical beach vacation. We are advocating an escape from the season hordes, to trade the air and noise pollution for a quiet vacation along the peaceful blue waters of Cocoon Maldives.

You can also visit beautiful Portugal, where access to stunning shores comes at a fraction of the cost, and a fraction of the crowds.