Hotels gear up for busy Independence Day weekend

Economic Times

30-07-2025

Synopsis
Hotels and resorts across India are experiencing high demand for the Independence Day long weekend, with many destinations already significantly booked. Room tariffs have increased by 10-15% compared to last year, driven by travelers seeking premium experiences. Popular destinations include Goa, Udaipur, Lonavala, and spiritual circuits, with cruise tourism also seeing a surge in interest.
With people looking for a short break, several properties see up to 80% occupancies, pushing rates up by
Those planning last-minute bookings at their favourite locales for the upcoming Independence Day long weekend could face disappointment as hotels and resorts are reporting brisk advance demand. Some are 50-80% booked, while others have already sold out their inventory, according to executives.
Room tariffs are also 10-15% higher over last year, the executives said.
The upcoming Independence Day long weekend is shaping up to be a strong travel period, with many travellers looking to make the most of the short break, said Nikhil Sharma, MD and COO, South Asia, Radisson Hotel Group."At Radisson, demand has been building steadily, with some resorts already securing over 75% occupancy a month in advance," he added.Sharma said travellers are increasingly willing to spend more on premium experiences and amenities, and the chain anticipates a further pickup in last-minute bookings as the weekend approaches.
Destinations like Lonavala, Kumbhalgarh, Mamallapuram, Chennai, and Goa are seeing particular interest this season.Most of Leisure Hotel Group's resorts across key leisure destinations in Uttarakhand including Rishikesh, Haridwar, Corbett, and Bhimtal, and in Himachal's Kasauli are already sold out, said Shahzad Aslam, head of sales at the chain."In Rajasthan, our resorts in Ranthambore and Jaipur are seeing a promising uptick in bookings, with occupancy already nearing 80%. Goa is also performing steadily, currently at around 45% occupancy for the Independence Day week," he added. Tariffs are also 10-20% higher compared to a regular weekend.The weighted average occupancy rate at all Justa Hotels & Resorts is about 50%, said Ashish Vohra, co-founder and CEO."Most of the properties in the hills are at 50% plus, except for Manali where travel is still a question mark. Some properties in Rajasthan in locations such as Udaipur and Ranthambore are crossing 65% occupancies," he said."Rates are up by about 10-15% over the same time last year. Usually, considering the 15-30 days window, advance bookings and occupancies are about 15% of the business in advance, so this momentum is quite good," he added.Based on Agoda's accommodation search data, topping the list of most popular destinations are Goa, Udaipur, Lonavala, Ooty, and Coorg.Gaurav Malik, country director for the Indian subcontinent and Indian Ocean islands at the company said Indian travellers are planning ahead and seeking experiences that blend relaxation with discovery."Interestingly, this trend aligns with Agoda's recent findings on the rise of micro-travel - shorter, more frequent trips that allow people to recharge without major time or budget commitments," he added.Advance bookings for the Independence Day long weekend are showing strong momentum, with hotels securing 40–50% occupancy as of now, said Ahsan Shervani, vice president, Shervani Hotels."Industry players expect a significant surge in last-minute bookings, pushing occupancy levels even higher," he added.Romil Pant, executive vice president and head of holidays at Thomas Cook (India) said cruise tourism is riding the wave of the long weekend demand, with strong interest for Indian coastal cruises and short-haul international sailings in Singapore and Malaysia. SD Nandakumar, president and country head for holidays and corporate tours at SOTC Travel said the company's 'Darshans' portfolio for spiritual circuits like Char Dham and Kailash Mansarovar, as well as pilgrim destinations such as Ayodhya, Dwarka, Vaishnodevi, Tirupati and Rishikesh is seeing an uptick. "We have curated spiritual journeys with personalized packages and guided spiritual walks led by local experts."