Off-season fast disappearing from India's travel scene

Long weekends, hybrid work flexibility driving this shift

- AKSHARA SRIVASTAVA & GULVEEN AULAKH

The traditional concept of the 'off-season' is rapidly becoming obsolete, as Indian travellers are no longer restricting their getaways to summer or winter holidays. Instead, they're seizing every opportunity—weekends, long breaks, and even workcations—to pack their bags and travel.

Long weekends spread across the year, Gen Z seeking spontaneous experiences, and hybrid work flexibility are driving this shift to such an extent that destinations once considered seasonal like Goa, Corbett, Ooty, Dharamshala, Haridwar, and Manali.

"While the Goan off-season typically begins from April 1 and goes on till October 31, we have started to see a lot of monsoon travellers—including families, individual travellers who are just looking to catch a break and relax," said Sourav Panchanan, general manager at the Caravela beach resort in South Goa.

Rains or not, the 195-key resort has seen occupancy rates rising, contributed by MICE events and even weddings from April to June. In FY24, the hotel clocked an average occupancy of 83.8 per cent versus 72 per cent in 2023.

Industry executives note that the pricing gap of hotel rooms as well as air tickets between peak and off-peak seasons has narrowed, which was also contributing to this trend.