Festive travel demand soars despite high airfares; Ahmedabad thrives on cricket craze

The average cost of an international flight at Rs 73,371 has increased 8 percent compared to last year while the average domestic flight fare at Rs 15,487 has increased by 14 percent.

The festive period is recording higher travel demand this year compared to 2022, despite higher airfares, according to data compiled by Kayak, a travel search engine.

The data shows a 29 percent increase in domestic flight searches and a 14 percent uptick in international flights during the festive travel period this year, as reported by Kayak.

The average cost of an international flight, at Rs 73,371, has increased by 8 percent compared to last year, while the average domestic flight fare, at Rs 15,487, has increased by 14 percent.

“The hike in flight fares has not deterred the intent to travel this festive season. Additionally, as the fare increase for international destinations is less than that for domestic destinations, Indians are preferring overseas places, especially those within Asia, where airfares on average are around Rs 30,000,” said Tarun Tahiliani, India Country Manager at KAYAK, in an interview with Moneycontrol.

India’s millennials, a term used to describe individuals born between 1981 and 1996, have shown the highest propensity to make international travel plans this festive season. About one-third of millennials plan on taking two or more international trips.

The company’s consumer research, involving 1,200 Indians, found that 54 percent of people traveling within India plan to take two or more domestic trips. The top trending domestic destinations for flights on the platform during the festive period include Madurai, with a 165 percent increase in searches year-on-year (YoY), Bhubaneswar at 105 percent, and Ahmedabad at 103 percent.

“Madurai has seen the highest increase this year compared to 2022 due to religious reasons for travel. As for Ahmedabad, people are traveling for Navratri, and there are also T20 cricket World Cup matches. The city hosts prominent matches, including the India-Pakistan match and the tournament’s opening match, which is fueling travel searches for the city,” Tahiliani explained.

The top trending international destinations for flights include Colombo, with a 340 percent increase in travel searches, Hong Kong at 162 percent, Seychelles at 139 percent, and Tokyo at 128 percent, according to the report.

“Colombo is the most trending destination, and the reason could be that last year, in the first half, it went through political turmoil, but it is now fully opened. Plus, the short distance and affordable cost are making it one of the most preferred choices,” he added.