As the Independence Day and Raksha Bandhan weekend approaches, travel demand from Mumbai has witnessed a significant upswing, resulting in soaring airfares to key tourist and pilgrimage destinations. The extended holiday period has spurred a rush for flights to popular locations such as Goa, Leh, Jodhpur, Mysore, Ayodhya, and Tirupati, with morning flights on 15 August seeing particularly high fare hikes. This surge underscores the growing interest among travellers seeking leisure and spiritual experiences during the extended weekend.
While these destinations have seen a steep rise in airfares, a contrasting trend is observed in other routes, where prices have dropped notably. For example, the return fares for travel from Mumbai to Srinagar on 15 August are currently priced between ₹10,000 and ₹12,000, significantly lower than the ₹25,000 typically charged during the Diwali season. This drop in prices is not limited to Srinagar but extends to Kozhikode and various locations in the Northeast, where the usual demand spike expected from September onwards has yet to manifest. The decline in fares to Kozhikode, the nearest airport to Wayanad, can be linked to the catastrophic landslide that struck Wayanad on 30 July, likely dampening travel enthusiasm to the region. This impact is reflected in a 34.3% drop in flight bookings to Kozhikode from 31 July to 4 August compared to the average bookings in the preceding weeks. Consequently, the lowest return fares from Mumbai to Kozhikode are currently at ₹13,000, while flights to Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram are priced higher, at ₹20,000 and ₹17,000, respectively.
Northeastern destinations such as Kolkata, Bagdogra, and Guwahati have also seen a reduction in airfares for the Independence Day weekend. Round-trip tickets from Mumbai start at ₹13,400, ₹17,000, and ₹15,000, respectively, marking a significant decrease from the rates typically observed during peak travel periods like Navratri, winter, and summer. Overall, the travel trends for the upcoming weekend reflect a mixed scenario, with certain destinations experiencing a surge in demand and corresponding fare hikes, while others have seen a decline in both bookings and prices. Cleartrip has reported a 37% increase in air bookings for the weekend compared to a typical one, while ixigo has observed a 40-50% year-on-year increase in flight bookings for the period between 14 and 20 August. Domestic hotspots such as Dehradun, Mumbai, and Goa have seen substantial growth in bookings, with average fares trending 25-30% higher due to increased demand. Meanwhile, international destinations like Bali, Thailand, Kuwait, and Singapore have also experienced a significant 60-70% rise in bookings compared to the previous year.
