Jaipur costliest for new year vacation in the country

JAIPUR: It’s that time of the year when Christmas and New Year celebrations are just round the corner. And if a traveller’s survey is anything to go by, then Jaipur in the peak season beats the financial capital, Mumbai and the administrative capital Delhi, to emerge as the most expensive city for a short break while Pune continues to rank as most budget-friendly.
The annual TripIndex Cities compares the cost of a three-day break for the month of December in eight major cities across India - New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Pune and Jaipur.The data takes into account typical in-destination costs for two people and these include - a four-star hotel for three nights, a visit to five attractions, lunch each day, a taxi to and fro each day including the cost of dinner.
The study found that among the Indian cities - the average price for a short break in December is INR 39,693 (excluding flights) with prices varying significantly from the least to the most expensive. Pune is the lowest cost destination at INR 34,704, while Jaipur costs the most at INR 45,351 for a three-day break in the city.
“For price conscious Indians, planning a December domestic break regardless of destination, using TripAdvisor will ensure you are getting the best value for your money. TripAdvisor’s Tripindex Cities report is a great indicator of the costs involved for a short stay during this period and helps travellers to assess the various aspects of their travel so they can feel confident about their choices and of making the absolute most of their trip,” said Nikhil Ganju, country manager, TripAdvisor India.
TripIndex Cities prices out the daily cost for the following items in each destination, multiplied by three to represent the cost of a three-day city break for two people. The research was conducted by a local team and prices were collected through telephone and web search for all components except the hotel stay. Prices in each market were taken in INR between August 1 and August 18, 2017. All prices were converted from US dollars to INR on November 21, 2017 and the conversion rate taken was INR 65.06.
But when contacted, Rajasthan Association of Tour Operators president, Khalid Khan, denied it. “Jaipur is a popular winter destination. Normally at this time it is not such an expensive destination but because there is a 5,000 doctor’s conference (December 26-30, 2017) there is shortage of rooms. Otherwise, among the published rates for accommodation, the best four -star hotels would not charge beyond Rs 8,000 per night. For a three-day stay, the maximum money a tourist would need to spend on an accommodation would range between Rs 18,000 and Rs 24,000 while the study marks it up to Rs 29,469. Even for dinner the maximum expense for three meals would be Rs 6,000 and not Rs 9,420 as per the study.”