With New Year’s Eve approaching, many Hyderabadis are ready with their travel plans. While Goa remains the favourite party destination in India, Dubai and Ko Samui ranks highest among those who want to ring in the New Year abroad.
Starting from December 25, the holiday season will extend till January 15. “Down south, Kerala and Goa are the common destinations. Shimla and Kulu-Manali too are favourites for many because of the snowfall. Abroad, the most popular destination is definitely Dubai. There is a Dubai shopping festival from January 14 to February 14 for which we have already booked a lot of tickets,” says G. Pranil Kumar, a vacations manager with a travel website.
Going by the trends, it’s evident that Hyderabadis don’t mind spending to be somewhere special for New Year’s Eve. Talking about the same, another travel agent says, “Price is not a concern for many who are travelling this season. The ticket prices for most places are already twice the original price and they are only going to increase. People just want to have a good time.”
Having issued confirmed tickets to more than 60 people for Goa, he says, “A Hyderabad to Goa round trip on December 29 is for around Rs 25,000.”
The best foreign destinations for New Year’s Eve are Dubai, Ko Samui, Hong Kong, Macau etc. “Tickets to Ko Samui are already completely booked. This is because of the full moon parties where people really go wild,” the agent added.
A disappointment for many is that there are no “offers” and discounts available this time of the year. “We cannot really offer anything as the fares are changing every minute during this time. The best we do is to offer the best prices and the best accommodation according to the wishes of our clients,” says Pranil.
However, people opting for online portals to book their tickets are able to get discounts.
A travel official said: “Online travel portals are getting popular because they can afford to give discounts. But these discounts mainly pertain to South East Asian countries or the Middle-East, which is why Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore are the favourite spots for youngsters as well.”
However, fewer people are travelling this year compared to previous years. “Last year we had more than 60 groups coming to us, but this time we hardly had 20 groups approaching us. We believe that this is because of the tense political situation in the country,” adds Pranil.
