Note: This website was automatically translated, so some terms or nuances may not be completely accurate.
India's "Diwali" Travels: Diverse Ways to Celebrate
Holidays for overseas travel, shopping at physical stores—While spending Diwali (Festival of Lights, this year on November 11), India's largest Hindu festival, with family and relatives back home is traditional, this year saw a noticeable trend of people taking advantage of off-season low prices to travel abroad. Additionally, as the period with the highest consumer activity of the year, retailers fiercely compete for festival sales. However, in contrast to last season's rapid expansion of e-commerce (EC), physical store sales showed strong growth, indicating a shift in how the festival is spent.
According to NNA, which distributes Asian economic news, while this period is typically a slow season for travel agencies, budget-friendly rates and diversified travel products proved popular. The Times of India online reported that major travel booking site MakeMyTrip held sales ahead of Diwali, expecting a 50% increase this season. British travel agency Cox & Kings also saw a 25% rise.
Popular destinations were overseas locations reachable within 2 to 5 hours. Sri Lanka, for instance, can sometimes be cheaper to fly to from Delhi than traveling to the southern Indian state of Kerala. Other popular destinations included Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Malaysia, and Singapore.
Travel gift vouchers also gained popularity. Cox & Kings revealed Diwali-period sales of gift vouchers rose 30% year-on-year. Meanwhile, UK travel services giant Thomas Cook shifted from corporate to individual sales, and MakeMyTrip launched a similar service. Usage is reportedly expanding, particularly among younger demographics.
In the retail sector, consumers returned to physical stores, preferring to touch and select products themselves. This shift occurred despite e-commerce discount rates being slightly lower than last year and product assortments remaining unchanged from the previous season. Major retailer Future Group saw sales increase by 26% during its pre-Diwali sale. Shopper's Stop also expects double-digit revenue growth.
Snapdeal drew attention in e-commerce by selling homes. It held a home sale from November 3rd to 9th. Registrations on the site specifically for property purchases reached 9,500. Its financial services platform "Rupee Power," which handles mortgages, reportedly saw over 1,000 registrations during the same period.
Was this article helpful?
Share this article
