What's Driving Travel Plans of Indians This Summer

Indian travelers are exploring leisure and recreation activities, according to data shared by search engine platform JustDial. The platform noted a 21% year-on-year increase in overall search for leisure activities between February 1 and April 16 this year. It added that there was a surge in interest for water parks, amusement parks, and resorts. 

Non-metro cities have registered a 22% increase in searches. Meanwhile, metro areas were slightly behind at 19%. “Within the metro cities, Kolkata and Ahmedabad are experiencing a remarkable surge in interest, with search queries jumping by 75% and 85%, respectively,” a press statement from JustDial said. Chennai searches have gone up 26% while Mumbai has registered a 22% increase. 

Among non-metro cities, Chandigarh saw a 205% increase in search queries compared to last year, followed by a 131% leap in Lucknow. Vadodara, Coimbatore, Goa, Indore, and Surat have also witnessed an increase in interest. 

Varied Interests: Last month, online travel agency Booking.com noted that along with metro cities such as Bengaluru, Delhi, and Mumbai, cooler destinations such as Ooty, Manali, Darjeeling, Rishikesh, Munnar, and Srinagar were among the top searched destinations for Indians’ summer travel plans. 

Lesser-known locations like Madikeri, Gangtok, and Varkala were also gaining traction, it noted. Clearly, Indians are looking to travel and experience a wide range of destinations. 

However, while domestic destinations are top of mind, Indians are also keen to explore global destinations. Booking.com noted that global locations such as Dubai, Singapore, Bangkok, and Bali continue to remain popular, while Tokyo and Abu Dhabi have also witnessed a surge.

Oyo Expands Into Food & Beverage Segment

Indian hospitality chain Oyo on Thursday announced its foray into the food and beverage (F&B) segment, with plans to roll out in-house kitchens and quick service restaurant (QSR) carts at 1,500 of its company-serviced properties by fiscal 2026. 

The hotel company will first bring these services to the Townhouse by Oyo brand.

The decision follows a pilot that started in January across 100 hotels in several cities, Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Gurugram. Oyo said the feedback was positive, prompting the broader rollout. Guests will be able to order food through the Oyo app and other booking platforms by selecting a “Kitchen Services” option.

Air India to Fly to Gaya From September

Full-service airline Air India has announced its plans to start daily flights between Delhi and Gaya starting September. With this, Gaya will become the carrier’s 46th domestic destination. The move will boost connectivity to Gaya from Southeast Asian countries. Gaya is a key spiritual destination connected to the Buddhist philosophy and attracts a large amount of inbound travelers. 

In a statement, Air India said that the timing of the Delhi-Gaya flight will allow convenient connections for travelers coming from Kathmandu, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Phuket, Singapore, Colombo, Kuala Lumpur, Seoul-Incheon, and Tokyo-Haneda. 

Last year, Air Asia and Thai Airways announced flight schedules from Thailand to Bodh Gaya in October, while Bhutan Airlines and Drukair announced flights from Bhutan. Two Myanmar-based airlines also announced flights for the 2024-25 tourist season. Meanwhile, charter flights from Hanoi also come in to the Bodh Gaya airport.

GoStops Becomes First Hostel Chain to Open in Panjim, Goa

Indian hostel brand GoStops has opened a hostel in Goa’s capital Panjim. With this, GoStops has become the only hostel chain to operate in the city. This also marks the company’s fourth property in the coastal state after Vagator, Baga, and Calangute. GoStops Panjim has 126 beds across 24 rooms. 

“Goa is that one destination that never goes out of style,” said GoStops co-founder Pankaj Parwanda. He added, “Building on the momentum of our recent funding, the expansion to Panjim is a strategic move toward our larger vision – scaling GoStops from 2,500 to 10,000 beds in the next 24 months.”

In March, the hostel chain announced that it raised INR 350 million ($4 million) in its Series A funding. The company had said it plans to use the funds to expand its inventory by four times. According to a statement, it will grow its presence to 100 destinations in India, up from close to 30 locations at present. It also aims to use the funds to strengthen its operations, improve technology, and enhance the social and experiential aspects of the properties.

Close to 60% of Indian travelers are now conscious of the impact of travel on communities as well as the environment, online travel agency Booking.com said in its latest report. As a result, 63% of Indian travelers want to leave places better than when they arrived. 

It also added that over 70% of Indians believe that tourism has a positive impact on the place where they live, but adjustments are also needed to allow destinations to grow at a healthy pace. 

Only 27% of Indians believed that capping the number of tourists in their home destination would help the issue of overcrowding or traffic congestion. Instead, they sought investment in improved waste management, transportation, and environment conservation.

Ramee Group of Hotels Enters Munnar

Mumbai-based Ramee Group of Hotels has signed a franchise agreement to enter Munnar in Kerala. The Ramee Wolkenburg Resorts and Spa will mark the hotel chain’s debut in the southern state. 

Under the agreement, Ramee will provide its brand identity, operational standards, and sales and marketing support to the 70-key hotel, it said in a statement. The group currently has a portfolio of over 45 properties across India, Dubai, Oman, and Bahrain.