Festive weekend, eased coronavirus restrictions and approaching school holidays major factors behind travel surge

OYO crossed eight lakh bookings this week, the highest for 2022. This figure came after the last festive weekend. According to data provided by the company, more than 950 hotels and homes had been sold out with 100 per cent occupancy on April 16. It added that on an average, 20 per cent of the booking were made by the members of OYO’s loyalty programme, Wizard.

The company has attributed this record to flexibility it offers to travellers as OYO has been adding more and more features in accordance to the continuously evolving consumer behaviour. But factors like easing of Covid19 restrictions on travel, beginning of school holidays at some places and pent-up travel demand have contributed to the increase in bookings as the summer season approaches.

Commenting on the steady bounce back in travel, Shreerang Godbole, SVP - Product & Chief Service Officer, OYO, said, “OYO continues to see a surge in weekend travel demand two weeks in a row. Last weekend, we saw over three lakh bookings and this week, we’ve crossed the eight lakh booking mark. This is exciting news for the travel and hospitality sector. It indicates that India is set to witness travel resurgence over the next few weeks of the summer season. Over the years, we focussed our innovations to build a consumer friendly app and become the preferred platform among evolved travellers. ‘Pay At Hotel’, Nearby Stays and our easy cancellation policies give consumers the flexibility to make last minute travel decisions even during peak weekends.”

“Our data indicates an expected rise in bookings across leisure destinations such as Gangtok, Srinagar, Coorg, McLeodganj, Nainital, Rishikesh, Darjeeling, Manali and Shillong. We’re thrilled about the bounce back and continue to work towards offering quality and flexible experiences to our consumers as they head out,” he added.

Manali, Hardiwar, Amritsar, Goa and Mysore were the most sought-after leisure destinations this weekend. In fact, a majority of cities witnessed over 200 per cent growth, in a confirmation of the pent-up travel demand across the country. This demand was led by travellers based in Hyderabad, Delhi, Bangalore, Pune and Kolkata. This demand pattern indicates high travel aspirations and intent among urban travellers, and their interest in exploring nearby tourist hotspots. Industry experts expect the demand for summer travel to rise by an average of 60 per cent in the coming days. Celebrated across different parts of the country, the festive fervour around Vishu, Baisakhi and Easter between April 14 and April 17 further contributed to this growth.