Travel sector flying again, domestic air passenger number tops pre-Covid high
The rise in numbers even led to complaints recently of key airports being choked, prompting an intervention by Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and Government agencies during the second week of the month.
High domestic demand comes despite record fares. (Express Photo by Tashi Tobgyal) Indians are planning to ring in the new year away from home, with the demand for domestic air travel double the pre-pandemic level of 2019 aided by a surge in interest from youth and the return of group travel, according to key players in the sector.
The high domestic demand comes despite record airfares, soaring hotel tariffs and high inflation that has led to an increase in the cost of living. It has also led to the country registering the highest-ever domestic air passenger number of 4,35,500 in a day on December 24, breaching the pre-Covid high of 4,20,000 —the highest passenger traffic recorded on a day in 2019, in December that year.
The rise in numbers even led to complaints recently of key airports being choked, prompting an intervention by Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and Government agencies during the second week of the month. The congestion at airports has eased since then.
The demand is not just for domestic but also short-haul international destinations that offer ease of travel, including easier visa entry rules.
“A combination of unspent leave, pent up demand and positive sentiment is fueling our domestic demand this season — surpassing pre-pandemic demand by over 110 per cent. Besides the family segment, we are witnessing strong demand from couples — honeymooners and India’s young professionals/ millennials — resulting in a drop of average consumer age by approximately 10 years,” said Rajeev Kale, president & country head for holidays at Thomas Cook India.
The trend, however, is not as promising with respect to inbound tourists — foreigners choosing India for leisure trips. Inbound tourists are only about 30-35 per cent of pre-pandemic numbers, according to Ajay Prakash, president, Travel Agents Federation of India.
In the domestic sector, meanwhile, favourites like Goa, Kashmir, Rajasthan, Kerala and the Andamans continue to attract tourists. At the same time, travel portals have seen interest growing for the Northeast and spiritual tourism to Varanasi, Prayagraj, Puri, Vaishnodevi, Ujjain and Tirupati, according to data shared by travel service providers like Cleartrip and Thomas Cook.
SOTC Travel says they have registered a growth of 85 per cent for spiritual travel over the pre-pandemic period primarily with younger consumers showing interest.
This year is also witnessing a return of people travelling in groups, which had dipped during the pandemic. “This year saw a swift revival of tourism more than the last two years… An interesting trend seen this year was the rise of travellers booking in larger groups of more than 10 passengers, which was observed after nearly two years. This trend is seen for the first time after the pandemic where the group size shrunk dramatically,” said Nishant Pitti, CEO and co-founder of the online travel portal, EaseMyTrip.
There is also demand for international destinations nearby with relaxed visa norms for Indian passport holders. According to data shared by travel portal Cleartrip, Dubai, Bangkok, London, Phuket, Male and Singapore are the destinations most sought after by Indians.
“There is a demand despite high fares/ tariffs, etc., and Indians are paying a lot more than earlier. While the domestic sector this holiday season could record its best-ever year, countries around India have also benefitted from Indians,” said Prakash, who heads the travel agents federation.
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