There was a time when tourists made travel plans during summer and monsoon was a relatively lean travel season. But, that has changed now. Monsoons, being the off-season for travel, offer relatively cheaper holidays. Keeping in mind a situation of dip in demand vs supply, airlines, hotels and travel companies are cashing in on the trend and offering discounts. Added to these are offers like complimentary transfer and spa and dining and spa- vouchers make monsoon travel more attractive to travellers.

A report by Thomas Cook India says that this monsoon season Indian travellers are bullish on domestic holidays with 60 per cent rise in demand. One main reason is people like to save money on travel and are using off-season travel rates to book mini vacations as they are cashing in on weekends and extended weekends and also looking for short driveable holidays. Monsoon vacations help people save 15- 20 per cent compared to peak season rates and are thus popular among those who seek value for money. With 3-4 long weekends during this period, tourists are also making most travel plans during this period. The key growth groups are millennials, double income no kids (DINK) families and ad-hoc groups of friends and family.

Self-drive holidays and outdoor-adventure journeys including nature trails and landscape photography are popular. This is also the best time for ayurveda treatment and a leisurely back-waters tour in Kerala and spa-wellness getaways.

Travellers in/around Delhi are keen on short and drivable holidays to Manali, Dharamshala, Mcleodganj, Mussoorie. For travellers based in Mumbai, Harishchandragadh, Rajmachi, Lohagad, Igatpuri, Lonavala, Matheran and Mahableshwar are prominent destinations.

Travel company Cox and Kings has come up with Monsoon Dhamaka packages where a 5N 4D trip to Kerala is available starting from Rs 12,999 and a trip to Goa for similar duration is on offer at Rs 4,999 instead of Rs 9,999. Travel companies are also luring customers with discount coupon codes and gifts. While Travelguru is giving discount vouchers of 5, 8 and 10 per cent on hotel bookings, Ezeego1 is offering travel hampers at discounted prices with every monsoon package booked plus a cashback of Rs 2,000 on domestic flight bookings and a discount of up to 70 per cent on domestic hotel bookings. Taj Hotels is offering monsoon escapes where you can pay for 2 nights and stay for 3. Airlines like Vistara, GoAir, Indigo and JetAirways are also providing flash sales of discounted fares.

It is a good idea to plan a vacation this monsoon. Make sure that you compare offers across travel operators and websites to get the best deal.

Popular domestic destinations: Goa, Kerala and hill destinations such as Ooty, Coorg, Wayand

Popular locales: Ladakh, Himachal, Bhutan, Uttarakhand, Gujarat,Orisssa and West Bengal

Emerging destinations: Meghalaya and Sikkim

anaghpal@outlookindia.com