HYDERABAD: While the frequency of vacations among city travellers is on the rise in recent times, most of those are last-minute plans. This was revealed in a survey conducted by a global travel search company.
The survey results reveal that 72% of travellers across India do not know what's the best time to book tickets. Local agents confirm Hyderabad is no exception.
“Especially, when it comes to close destinations, travellers prefer to book at the eleventh hour. People from south India, including Hyderabad, don't like to lock down on a certain period for vacation. So, they never plan in advance,“ said Shravan Gupta, executive director leisure businesses of
FCM Travel Solu
tions India, adding that most bookings are made two weeks before the travel period.
Interestingly , the findings of the survey conducted by
Skyscanners
reveal that 11% respondents believe booking at the last minute is the key to get ting a good deal. This, while 31% believe booking more than 12 weeks in advance is the best time to book flights.
Skyscanner's data analysis, however, suggests that booking 24 weeks before departure is the ideal time to buy tickets. “Three-quarters of Indian travellers don't know when is the best time to book tickets and 69% are way off in their estimations, guessing the best deals on flights can be found less than 12 weeks before departure,“ said Reshmi Roy , growth manager, Skyscanner India.
Agents say, hotspots for Hyderabad's 2017 travel calendar include Singapore, Malaysia and Japan. Europe, though, is among the most sought-after.
“Within Europe, Croatia, Norway and destinations in the Scandinavian region are more popular. Apart from this, there is a 20% rise in the number of people opting for Europe cruise packages that cost $150 per person per day including accommodation, food, travel and basic sightseeing,“ said Gupta.