Long weekend gives Bengalureans the travel bug

With the Bengaluru traveller’s plans set for the upcoming extended weekend, the spread of preferred destinations appears to have a slice of many things — beaches, hills, adventure, and a call of the spiritual.

Travel reservation trends from Bengaluru for the long weekend between Raksha Bandhan (August 11) and Independence Day show marked interest in traditionally favoured destinations. Goa, Puducherry and Ooty are among the popular spots, with Mantralayam, Tirupati and Rameshwaram reporting good numbers among destinations in the spiritual circuits.

Rajeev Kale, President and Country Head, Holidays, MICE, Visa – Thomas Cook (India) Ltd, said Kashmir, Kerala, Goa, Leh-Ladakh and Andamans are destinations in demand. Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Maldives, Mauritius and Singapore are among Bengalureans’ preferred international destinations for the long weekend.

“Pandemic-induced travel restrictions have led to travellers opting for outdoor and adventure experiences; including safaris, biking, camping, monsoon treks, water rafting and paragliding,” he said.

The Kempegowda International Airport had, on August 4, issued an advisory about a possible surge in passenger volumes and delays in passenger processing.

“Our trends indicate that despite increased airfares, we are witnessing a significant uptick — reiterating strong pent-up travel appetite across multi-generational families, millennials and groups of friends,” Daniel D’Souza, President and Country Head – Holidays, SOTC Travel, said.

Reservations for the package bus tours organised by the Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC) on August 12 also point to the trend. Nine of the 10 packages scheduled for the day from Bengaluru are running at full capacity.

The packages on the day cover Mysuru–Ooty, Madurai–Rameshwaram– Kanyakumari, Mantralayam–Hampi, Tirupati–Kalahasti, Sigandhur–Jog Falls and Puducherry.

“The KSTDC packages have drawn a very good response for the weekend. Our properties are also reporting good growth in occupancy,” G Jagadeesha IAS, KSTDC MD, said. The corporation has added temporary packages covering Ahobilam and Tiruvannamalai.

The KSRTC has added special services that connect Bengaluru with different parts of the state and destinations in other south Indian states. The numbers peak on August 12, with 119 special services, 30 of them on the Bengaluru–Panaji route and 18 on the Bengaluru–Puducherry route.

Other prominent destinations charted from Bengaluru for the day include Madurai (6 services), Kodaikanal (6), Gokarna (5) and Ooty (4). On the day, special services will also operate from Bengaluru to Dharmasthala, Sringeri and Velankanni.