Indians pick beaches over hills for Diwali holidays: OYO

New Delhi, Oct 23 (IANS) Instead of celebrating the festival traditionally at home, Indians are preferring beaches over mountains during Diwali holidays, a new report from OYO Hotels and Homes revealed on Wednesday.

The booking data for the Diwali week, 25th October to 31st October, 2019, shows people are heading to the land of beaches, Goa, this year followed by metro cities Delhi and Bengaluru.

Most bookings for Goa have come from Pune, Bengaluru and Ahmedabad.

“With the festive season around the corner, we are witnessing consumers stepping out of the city for a memorable time with loved ones whether it’s Goa or neighbouring towns,” said Gaurav Ajmera, Chief Operating Officer, India & South Asia, OYO Hotels & Homes.

“Moreover, with consumer focused brands running creative campaigns and offering attractive services at great discounts during this time, we see a significant increase in bookings within the hospitality and tourism industry,” Ajmera said.

Indians are preferring beaches over mountains this year with most bookings witnessed for Goa, Mumbai, Puducherry and Visakhapatnam over scenic beauties like Ooty, Lonavala, Mussoorie, Nainital, Manali, Darjeeling, Mount-Abu, the report said.

Delhi and Bengaluru witnessed most bookings from within the city showcasing how people are opting to relax this Diwali week.

The report added that most Delhiites booked for Amritsar, Jaipur and Lucknow whereas Mumbaikars plan to visit Pune, Mahabaleshwar and Lonavala, the report said.

People from Bengaluru, on the other hand, are planning for Mysore, Ooty, Mangalore, Kochi and Puducherry.

According to the report, The company also saw maximum bookings by couples for the Diwali period closely followed by family outings.