Rajesh Magow, Co-founder and Group CEO of MakeMyTrip, said that Independence Day has steadily become an important travel period, with this year following a similar trend. He noted that searches and bookings indicate strong travel intent, particularly with demand peaking as early as August 13. This early surge is giving travellers a five-day window to plan trips.
Top domestic destinations for the long weekend include Goa, Udaipur, Jaipur, Puri, Lonavala, Varanasi, Coorg, Mahabaleshwar, Ooty, and Pondicherry. On the international front, Indian travellers are favouring locations such as Pattaya, Bali, Bangkok, Singapore, Dubai, Phuket, Colombo, Kuala Lumpur, Zurich, and London.
Puneet Chhatwal, Managing Director and CEO of Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL), which owns the Taj brand, confirmed that the long weekend is performing well, particularly for resort properties. He said the company is pleased to see positive momentum in bookings and guest interest.
K B Kachru, President of the Hotel Association of India (HAI) and Chairman for South Asia at Radisson Hotel Group, highlighted that the alignment of the holiday on a Friday has created the perfect environment for increased travel. HAI member hotels are seeing a rise in advance reservations, with many properties already experiencing heightened activity. He added that some hotels are witnessing up to a 40% increase in bookings compared to the previous year, with average daily room rates expected to be 10–15% higher year-on-year.
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Chander K Baljee, Chairman and Managing Director at Royal Orchid Hotels Ltd (ROHL), noted steady interest in the weekend spanning 14 to 17 August. He mentioned that while booking momentum is still building, strong last-minute demand is expected, in line with usual patterns for domestic long weekends. He reported an approximate ₹1,280 increase in room rates over the same period last year, projecting the average room rate (ARR) to reach ₹6,450 — a 7–8% rise compared to ₹6,000 in 2024.
With travel confidence holding firm and holiday timing working in the sector’s favour, the hospitality industry is bracing for a robust weekend, signalling continued recovery and growth in India’s leisure travel market.
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(Edited by : Jerome Anthony)
