August witnesses massive travel booking spike as states ease restrictions

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Due to the considerable drop in active Covid-19 cases, strong pent-up demand, gradual easing of restrictions and increased acceptance of vaccines have increased travel bookings across the country, after a poor 2020, according to The Economic Times report. In August bookings increased by double digits for key service providers. According to the report fully vaccinated travellers have been exempted from RT-PCR tests in hotspots like Rajasthan and Goa, which is boosting demand. The booking windows are also getting longer, it added.

Advance bookings have been increasing

Travel portal MakeMyTrip has reported that travellers have been searching for and booking tickets a month in advance due to the improved sentiments. It further said that there is a 30% increase in forward bookings for flights and hotels. Also, hotel bookings by corporate travellers have increased by 20-25% in August.

EaseMyTrip  has also reported a 400% in forward bookings for December, between July 1 to August 15  as compared to last year.

Some are even booking well in advance for new year holidays, according to Thomas Cook India.

The advance purchase window is also increasing, as airlines are offering discounts on tickets for dates, which are beyond the deadline of fare regulation. The publication said that fares are lower by around 60%, if the booking is done 30 days in advance.

Forward bookings for hotels have been on the rise due to weddings slated for later this year.

Leisure bookings see a massive surge

Thomas Cook India has reported over a 100% surge in leisure bookings. It further said that Indians typically travel home to celebrate festivals, but the pent-up demand this year mainly came from family bonding vacations.

Domestic destinations like Kashmir, Goa and Andaman have witnessed a strong uptick. Cruise trips have seen a similar demand with 500 customers already booked for domestic cruises.

As the growth in leisure travel increases, companies are expecting a strong growth in the coming months as well.