June 13, 2017 TnH Global

This Monsoon, Indian travellers bullish on Domestic Holidays with a 60% increase in demand says Thomas Cook India

Trend of ‘travel savers’: Indians leveraging off-season rates to book mini-vacays
Weekend & extended weekends in high demand
Short driveable holidays seeing strong uptake
Key growth segments: DINKs, Millenials, Ad hoc groups of friends and family

India’s leading integrated travel and travel related financial Services Company, has observed an exponential increase in demand for domestic travel during the Monsoons. Despite being a traditional low or off-season, the Company has witnessed a significant 60% increase in demand for Monsoon 2017; with a sustained Y-o-Y uptake of approx. 55%, over the last 3 years.

Monsoons being a traditional low season for travel, the dip in demand vs. supply works well to the consumer’s advantage: special deals/discounts offered by airlines and hotels create strong allure/incentive to inspire “travel savers”. Additionally, value-options like complimentary transfers, dining or spa-vouchers make Monsoon travel a truly attractive value proposition for Indians.

Statistics available with Thomas Cook India reveal that travel-hungry Indian consumers leverage the Monsoon opportunity to avail of savings of 15-20% or more on domestic packages, compared to peak season rates. This “travel saver” trend is especially high with value seekers; strong uptake seen across DINKs, millennials, ad hoc groups of friends and family; equally corporate incentives/ team activities.

The Monsoons offer India’s work-weary warriors potential for much needed rest & relaxation- a mini-break from work pressures. And with 3 to 4 long weekends during this period, scope for both weekend and extended weekend getaways.

The Monsoons showcase India at her best, with pleasant weather, a refreshing green cover and waterfalls- water bodies in full flow, hence offering today’s protagonist traveller eclectic travel experiences: self-drive holidays and outdoor-adventure journeys of discovery (including nature trails and landscape photography tours to The Valley of Flowers at Uttarakhand, Maharashtra’s picture perfect Kaas-Pathar Valley, etc). This is also the best time for Kerala’s famed ayurveda treatment and a leisurely back-waters tour; also indulgent spa-wellness getaways.

In India, Kerala continues to be a favorite with strong preference for the beaches of Kovalam and Varkala, hill retreats of Munnar and Vagamon; equally the pristine backwaters of Kumarakom and forests of Thekkady and the Silent Valley. Thomas Cook India has also observed an increasing demand for Auroville in Puducherry, Bhutan and Ladakh this season too.

Travellers in/around Delhi are keen on short & drivable holidays to Manali, Dharamshala, Mcleodganj, Mussoorie. For travellers based in Mumbai/Maharashtra: Harishchandragadh, Rajmachi, Lohagad, Igatpuri, Lonavala, Matheran and Mahableshwar feature prominently.

This year the Thomas Cook India Monsoon portfolio extends across popular locales like The Andamans; Ooty, Kodaikanal, Kerala backwaters, the rainforest areas of Wayanad, Coorg, Uttarakhand, Manali, Shimla, Nainital, Corbett, Kashmir, Himalayan ranges and off-beat destinations like Chamba, Dharamshala, Odisha; equally strongly emerging destinations like Meghalaya & Sikkim in the North-East; also Goa, a year-round favourite.

Rajeev Kale, President & Country Head – Leisure Travel, MICE, Thomas Cook (India) Ltd highlighted, “Monsoons in India have a truly special allure- an experience in itself to witness the rains across different parts of the country. The value seeking Protagonist Traveller of today looks beyond the ordinary, inspiring us to curate special offers and unique Monsoon destination/experiential packages at Thomas Cook India.”

He added, “Monsoons being a traditional off-season, offered us an opportunity to feature discounted rates and special offers – hence great bang for the buck for our customers!”