Kolkatans plan I-Day weekend getaways
2
3
4
Kolkata: With Independence Day falling on a Friday this year and the following Saturday and Sunday adding up to a three-day holiday, Kolkatans are making a beeline for weekend getaways.
From beaches to hills, occupancy rates at top destinations such as Digha, Mandarmani, Santiniketan, Purulia, Mousuni, and Bankura have shot up over the past week.
"We are seeing 95–100% occupancy in most properties for the weekend. Demand has been particularly strong for seaside resorts in Digha and Mandarmani," said Biprodas Chakraborty, joint secretary of Digha Shankarpur Hoteliers Association.
"Enquiry and bookings for boutique stays in Santiniketan have also increased.
Even homestays and small eco-resorts are fully booked," said Chandranath Banerjee of Bolpur Shantiniketan Hoteliers Association.
You Can Also Check:
Kolkata AQI
|
Weather in Kolkata
|
Bank Holidays in Kolkata
|
Public Holidays in Kolkata
|
Gold Rates Today in Kolkata
|
Silver Rates Today in Kolkata
Holidaymakers are also opting for closer-to-home escapes, including Airbnb villas and resort properties with private swimming pools for parties with friends and families. "We didn't want to travel too far with kids, so we booked a pool villa at Raichak. It's more relaxed than rushing through a packed sightseeing schedule," said Aritra Saha, a graphic designer.
SUV rental firms are also reporting a spike in bookings, especially for large groups headed to beaches or hill retreats. "All our bigger vehiclesare booked for the long weekend. People prefer the comfort of SUVs when travelling with friends or extended family," said Anirban Chakraborty, who runs a car rental service in New Alipore. "We had two 12-seater buses. They too were long booked."
Tour operators say the long weekend has given many the perfect excuse for a short break before the festive season rush.
"This year's Aug holiday stretch is as busy as Durga Puja in terms of short-haul travel," said tour planner Paritosh Banerjee.
Many, like the newly wed Diptobrata Bhattacharya, are also driving to Puri with his wife and two other friends to spend the weekend as they plan to head out of the city after office on Thursday.
Nationally, the top 10 most trending domestic cities for this long weekend include Puri, Goa, Udaipur, Jaipur, Lonavala, Varanasi, Coorg, Mahabaleshwar, Ooty, and Pondicherry.
Among the international destinations closer to home, Pattaya, Bali, Bangkok, Singapore, Dubai, and Phuket are the trending short hauls.
"Independence Day has emerged as a key travel occasion over the years. This year too, the search and booking trends point to strong intent to travel over the Independence Day weekend. With Independence Day on a Friday, travel demand appears to be peaking two days earlier, on Wednesday, Aug 13, giving early travellers a five-day window," said Rajesh Magow, co-founder and group CEO, MakeMyTrip.
Stay updated with the latest local news from your
city
on
Times of India
(TOI). Check upcoming
bank holidays
,
public holidays
, and current
gold rates
and
silver prices
in your area.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
38 minutes ago
- Time of India
Bairabi-Sairang passenger train likely to roll out in Sept
Silchar: In a major boost to Mizoram's connectivity, Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) is gearing up to flag off passenger train services on the Bairabi-Sairang route as early as next month — before the Durga puja festival. The move will mark the first time the hilly state sees passenger trains running through its mountainous terrain. An NFR spokesman earlier said the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) has already given green signal for operations. "With the approval in place, we are now finalising the launch date and working towards commencing services from Sept," he said. The spokesman expressed optimism that the inaugural run could happen before the Durga Puja festivities, calling it a "significant milestone" for the northeastern state. Railway experts hailed the development as a potential game-changer for Mizoram's tourism sector, predicting a surge in visitors and a much-needed boost to the state's economy. Since Independence, Mizoram has relied solely on roadways to stay connected with the rest of the country. With rail connectivity finally on track, experts believe it will transform travel, trade and transportation for the state's residents. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Happy Independence Day wishes , messages , and quotes !
Time of India
42 minutes ago
- Time of India
Hotels raise stakes on pandemic-era bets to ramp up revenue playbook
Hotel chains are raising their bets on new businesses started during the pandemic-era, with some even emerging as critical revenue generators. Independence Day 2025 Before Trump, British used tariffs to kill Indian textile Bank of Azad Hind: When Netaji gave India its own currency Swadeshi 2.0: India is no longer just a market, it's a maker From home delivery of food to boutique stays, and retailing sleep essentials, hotel chains had entered into diverse segments to sustain their businesses amid severe disruptions caused by the pandemic. Besides Tree of Life and a reimagined Ginger brand, Indian Hotels Company 's (IHCL's) new business vertical also includes home stay brand ama Stays & Trails and Qmin. Initially launched as a gourmet food delivery app during Covid-19, Qmin has since transformed into a multiformat concept. Deepika Rao, executive vice president of new businesses and hotel openings at IHCL said Qmin, with its multiformat presence across all-day-diners at Ginger hotels, lifestyle cafes, food pods and QSR outlets at airports has over 90 outlets, while ama Stays & Trails will scale to over 500 bungalows in the next few years from over 300 currently. "Under Accelerate 2030, IHCL's five-year strategy road map, the new business vertical is set to deliver a revenue CAGR of over 30%," she said. Launched in 2021, ITC Hotels' Gourmet Couch started out as a means to bring the hotel chain's signature dining experiences to homes. Today, Gourmet Couch is available through the ITC Hotels App, as well as popular food delivery apps across locations such as Delhi NCR, Agra, Jaipur, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bhubaneswar, Guntur, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Ahmedabad. ITC Hotels also launched a boutique hotel brand Storii, which currently has seven operating properties across Goa, Kolkata, Manali, Solan, Dharamshala and Jaisalmer. In 2021, it also launched the first ITC Hotels Sleeep boutique at New Delhi's ITC Maurya, offering a collection of sleep essentials. These boutiques have since expanded to cities such as Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Kolkata. "These innovations are not just pandemic stop-gaps; they have expanded our reach, and created new ways to engage with guests," said a spokesperson for ITC Hotels. Radisson Hotel Group launched Radisson Individuals during the pandemic. The segment offers independent hotels the ability to retain their own character while gaining access to Radisson Hotel Group's distribution reach and loyalty programme. Nikhil Sharma, MD and COO, South Asia, at the chain said this model has seen strong interest from hotel owners, with 20 hotels currently operational across locations such as Imphal, Kasauli, Dhanbad, Yavatmal, Jim Corbett, Udaipur, Gopalpur, Katra, and Navsari. "We are also launching in locations such as Bhubaneswar, Gwalior, and Shirdi," he added. The past five years have been one of the most transformative in modern hotel history, said Nandivardhan Jain, founder and CEO of Noesis Capital Advisors. He said hotel chains have been forced to rethink their strategies to cope with factors such as the Covid-19 impact, structural shifts in traveller demographics and booking behaviour. "The result has been an accelerated introduction of new hotel formats that are fundamentally altering the economics of hotel development and operations," said Jain. "The boutique segment has moved from the periphery to a central growth pillar for many chains. Smaller inventory footprints (20-80 keys), and immersive local positioning have enabled chains to tap into a segment that delivers higher yield and faster recovery cycles than conventional upscale brands," he added.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
46 dead, 100-odd injured, many missing as cloudburst wipes out pilgrims' camp in J&K's Kishtwar
JAMMU/SRINAGAR: Flash flooding within moments of a cloudburst Thursday wrought tragic devastation on a pilgrimage pit stop at Chishoti in J&K's Kishtwar district, killing at least 46 people – most of them pilgrims on the return leg of the Shri Machail Mata Yatra – and injuring over 100. Scores of pilgrims were reported missing as Army, police, NDRF and other agencies mounted a search operation and rescued around 160 people in the few hours before dusk set in. Most of the reported casualties were found around a langar (community kitchen) set up for pilgrims, officials said. " I am unable to hold back my tears. The situation is bad," PTI quoted BJP's Kishtwar MLA Shagun Parihar as saying from Chishoti. At Paddar, the town closest to the disaster zone, leader of the opposition Sunil Sharma told reporters that 100-odd people were missing. "There are mud-caked bodies and critically injured people all around. The death toll could rise," he said. The cloudburst occurred between noon and 1pm, causing rapidly filling rivulets to swamp a swathe of the valley. The camp set up for pilgrims bore the brunt of the damage, leaving a mud-filled gorge where the langar stood. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Undo Floodwaters washed away several other structures, including a security post. Dozens of vehicles were damaged. "Two CISF personnel were among the victims. Many of the pilgrims who died were having lunch in the langar when disaster struck," an official said. Chishoti is about 90km from Kishtwar town and the last stop before pilgrims trek 8.5km to the ancient Machail Mata shrine. The 43-day Shri Machail Mata Yatra, which commenced on July 25 and was to continue till Sept 5, has been suspended. "I just spoke to the Union home minister @AmitShah to brief him about the developing situation in Kishtwar region of Jammu," CM Omar Abdullah wrote on X, also announcing the cancellation of his scheduled "At Home" tea party on Independence Day. "My thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by the cloudburst and flooding in Kishtwar, Jammu and Kashmir. The situation is being monitored closely. Rescue and relief operations are underway. Every possible assistance will be provided to those in need," PM Narendra Modi wrote on X. IGP (Jammu zone) Bhimsen Tuti said the administration had "activated" control rooms and help desks across Kishtwar to provide updates about the rescue efforts. Many of the injured are at Paddar sub-district hospital while those requiring specialised medical attention have been shifted to the district hospital in the headquarters town. "I don't have words to describe what has happened. There are scores of injured in the hospital. We don't have a count yet of how many people have been separated from their families," said Pooja Thakur, chairperson of the District Development Council of Kishtwar. J&K lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha said the IAF was on standby for evacuation of survivors from the affected zone. "Men and machinery have been put at the site. Other teams have also been rushed…I am constantly monitoring the situation."
