(MENAFN- Live Mint) More travellers are opting for affordable options this festive season as the trend shifts away from pure luxury trips, to“smart luxury”, according to a report by AI travel platform Thrillophilia. It added that budget-friendly weekend getaways were also top choice, among festive travellers.

The report noted that mid-range stays jumped as much as 22 per cent year-on-year (YoY), with a“clear shift from high-end vacations... catalysed by the GST 2.0 rollout and a buoyant festive season”.

Travellers are not necessarily cutting back, but rather spending less on rooms and more on experiences, it added. As festive demand peaks, the Thrillophilia's data showed that Indians are travelling“smartly” and planning better.

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The report noted that mid-range stays jumped 22 per cent YoY as travellers chose“smart leisure” bookings priced between ₹2,000-6,000 per night, this festive season. Such bookings also accounted for 48 per cent of all bookings on the platform, it added.

Across all categories, the average spend on domestic trips ranges between ₹25,000– ₹45,000, while short-haul international holidays average between ₹60,000– ₹95,000.

“India's new default is smart luxury, with savings on the bed, splurge on the day.. With travel feeling slightly more affordable, people are more open to taking that extra trip or upgrading their stay. This is a healthy sign for both travellers and hospitality operators in emerging leisure destinations,” said Abhishek Daga, Co-Founder, Thrillophilia.

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• Two and three night trips made up 58 per cent of all bookings, up 6 percentage points YoY, as short breaks and weekend getaways drove travel choices this festive season, Thrillophilia's data showed.
• The average length of trips booked on the platform - 2.6 nights, suggested that travellers opted for more frequent and shorter trips, against longer holidays.
• Booking behaviour also suggested that travellers are now planning trips in advance, with the average booking window at 21 days, three days earlier compared to last year.
• In terms of spending behaviour, there is a 21 per cent rise in travellers choosing to use miles and upgrade vouchers when journeying by air; further there is a 2.8 percentage point dip in premium cabin ticket sales this Diwali.

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Further, the data showed that rather than splurging on business class or five-star hotels, people are redirecting their savings toward premium experiences, with the average basket now at ₹3,600.

• Trekking bookings are up by 27 per cent,
• Local sightseeing by 24 per cent, and
• Cultural and culinary activities by 22 per cent.

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Further, when it came to the destinations, the data showed that weekend getaways and short, affordable trips were preferred with tourist cities such as Jaipur, Lucknow and Bhopal drawing the crowds.

• Among cities, Jaipur emerged as India's“most vibrant affordable-stay market”, with stays in the ₹2,000–6,000 band up 26 per cent YoY.
• Meanwhile, Lucknow lead in family short-breaks, where two to three-night trips now make up 59 per cent of all stays, a seven-point jump from last year.
• And Bhopal has recorded the highest weekend occupancy at 81 per cent.
• While Hyderabad is India's top early-planning market, with the average booking window stretching to 24 days compared to 19 last year.
• In the east, Bhubaneswar tops activity-led growth with adventure and cultural bookings up 31 per cent YoY, averaging ₹3,200 per trip.
• Further, Chennai has seen the largest increase in miles and voucher usage (up 23 per cent YoY).
• While Kolkata dominates short-trip bookings, with 61 per cent of stays lasting two to three nights.
• Patna had the fastest festive booking velocity, as Diwali-week inventory sold out three days earlier than last year.
• And Panaji leads the boutique-stay trend, where boutique and homestay properties now account for 54 per cent of all nights booked.

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