Long weekends are trending again

Bookings for long weekends were on the rise before the pandemic, but not all leisure hotels were sold out. However, after the two-year of hiatus, now long weekend phenomenon is enabling the market to skyrocket. Hoteliers discuss how most hotels are sold out on long weekend days.

TT Bureau

The onset of the pandemic brought to light the hidden gems of domestic tourism, and the concept of staycations saw an exponential increase in popularity. “Travellers are now more eager than ever to embark on a journey away from the hustle and bustle of daily city life. There is a strong inclination among travellers to book getaways at luxurious properties at drivable distances, where they can immerse themselves in the utmost rejuvenation through unparalleled hospitality and services,” says Rajiv Kapoor, General Manager, Fairmont Jaipur.

“After being couped up inside homes for nearly two years, the demand for travel is soaring, and people are incredibly willing to spend on getaways. The feeling of making the most of the present has been reinforced by the various lockdowns, and the tourism and hospitality industries are seeing numbers higher than ever. This puts hotels in an impeccable spot to cater to an influx of travellers and go above and beyond with their innovations and offerings,”  Kopoor adds.

All-Encompassing Experience

Paritosh Ladhani, Executive Director, Sincere Developers, says “Due to the pandemic’s two years of hiatus, long weekends are when everyone ventures out. The Taj Hotel & Convention Centre Agra has sold out all long weekends in the new normal. We are seeing high ARRs in addition to high occupancies. Even on weekdays, the higher room rates have seen a spillover effect.”

Making most of long weeends

Sharad K Upadhyay, General Manager, Crowne Plaza Greater Noida, says, “We are observing strong bleisure demand for the holiday weekends. Business travellers are increasingly mixing leisure and business together, which was sparked by the easing of travel restrictions. People want to make the most of these long weekends and are continuously looking for a quick and short respite from their monotonous lives.”

Long weekend travel is here stay

Shaariq Akhtar, General Manager, ITC Kohenur, says, “Indefinite remote work has changed the travel landscape forever. We have noticed an influx in long weekend travel across the globe. Blurring the lines between business and leisure travel has given impetus to what hoteliers call ‘bleisure’. Further, remote workers are now opting to take longer trips during festive periods owing to location flexibility.