People pack up for a long-weekend trip

HYDERABAD: With a long weekend around the corner — for Good Friday and Easter — travel agents have reported a surge in the number of hotel and ticket bookings.

According to them, most travellers are headed to hill stations across the country to beat the heat and indulge in adventure sports such as snowboarding and skiing.

Online travel agent Cleartrip, for instance, has recorded a 117 per cent difference in hotel bookings for this weekend when compared to the next. Singapore and

Thailand

have accounted for 49 per cent of travellers’ choice of place, said agents.

“With the school exams just gone-by and the commencement of summer holidays in many places, people are using the upcoming long weekend to take a quick break. We have noticed that most of the bookings were made without much advance planning, as reflected by 61 per cent of the bookings being done only in March. Singapore and Thailand account for over 49 per cent of the total international hotel bookings for the weekend indicating the increasing inclination towards short-haul weekend breaks. On the domestic front, Goa, Manali and Srinagar are the leading destinations, in terms of the number of bookings for the upcoming weekend,” said

Ankit Rastogi

, vice-president of accommodation at Cleartrip.com.

Staycations are also popular this weekend, especially among those in the DINKs (Double Income No Kids) category and youngsters.

“People want to escape the heat, yet do not want to travel too far. Hence many travellers from Hyderabad are choosing to stay in quality hotels and home stays in and around the city that offer amenities such as spas, swimming pools, water sports and indoor games,” said Neelu Singh, chief executive officer and director of Ezeego1.