As year-end travellers gear up to immerse themselves in the yuletide spirit and welcome the New Year, a large number of Indians are moving away from the cacophony of bigger cities to herald the New Year in quieter places.
Coastal towns and hill stations
Coastal towns and hill stations are emerging as the new party hubs for the New Year travellers. Topping the list of the year-end travel destinations are Goa, McLeod Ganj, Mussoorie, Darjeeling, Gokarna and Puducherry. Travel operators say that this year the shift of travel to coastal cities and hill stations is more pronounced. With hotel room rates in most major cities in India going up, many Indians are preferring newer destinations and have become experimental in their choice of the places of stay.
“With popular destinations like Goa and Kerala being crowded during the holiday season, travellers are exploring alternative destinations like palaces of Jaipur and Udaipur and jungle safaris at Panna, Bandhavgarh, Pench and Kanha for the yearend vacation,” said Mr Frederick Divecha, Sr Vice-President, Marketing and Business Development, Kuoni India.
Beachside destinations
While beachside destinations like Goa are a popular choice, other coastal cities like Pondicherry and Visakhapatnam have witnessed a rise in tourist inflow for the upcoming year-end vacation season.
“These places have become popular for their perfect ambiance for celebrations, thanks to their exotic beaches and night life,” said Mr Frederick. While hill stations in Himachal Pradesh are an all-time favourite during this time of the year, tourists are also heading to rural Bengal and hill stations like Araku Valley in Andhra Pradesh. Interestingly, instead of high-end hotels, eco-friendly resorts in these places have witnessed a rise in the bookings for December. “Tourists from North India and from other parts of the world like the UK and Russia are preferring to spend their year-end vacations in newer places like Araku Valley. In fact, there is a 20 per cent increase in bookings and enquiries for holidays in Araku, especially from foreign tourists and travellers from Mumbai and Delhi,” said Mr Seshagiri Mantri of Vihar Holiday Inn Resorts in Araku Valley, an eco-friendly resort and a joint initiative of Vihar and the tribal communities of Araku that was recently inaugurated.
“A lot of travellers are realising that a quiet and quaint New Year's at hill stations and beach destinations can be a much needed change. In fact, a holiday at a hill station like Mussoorie in a boutique hotel with the family can be cheaper than party tickets in a big metro like New Delhi,” said Mr Prashant Chauhan, Director, MyGuestHouse.net. Farm house parties in city outskirts have also been a favourite option for many.