City folks are heading out in droves for Independence Day weekend, with both international and domestic destinations seeing unprecedented demand.
The long weekend — created by the Friday holiday — has pushed airfares to extraordinary heights across multiple sectors.
The surge in travel demand has led to dramatic price increases. Return flights from Calcutta to Bangkok, typically priced around ₹25,000, were showing rates exceeding ₹72,000 for August 14-17 travel — nearly matching the ₹86,000 cost of a Calcutta-London return ticket.
“The fare is almost as high as a return fare to London from Calcutta,” noted one tour operator.
Domestic destinations haven’t been spared. Goa return fares jumped from an average ₹20,000 to around ₹30,000, while Bagdogra flights increased from ₹12,000 to nearly ₹16,000 —despite heavy monsoon rains in North Bengal.
Travellers undeterred
Many residents have planned their trips well in advance, anticipating the price surge. Park Street resident Naresh Parnani, travelling to Bangkok with his wife and son on Thursday night, booked a month ago when return fares were already ₹30,000 per person.
“We had planned this short holiday around a month ago. Even then, the return fare for each person was ₹30,000,” said Parnani.
Travel isn’t limited to air routes. A 12-member group from south Calcutta boarded the Mumbai Mail on Wednesday night for a trip to Varanasi, planning to explore the ancient city and witness the Ganga aarti before returning on Monday.
Another group is driving to Purulia’s Ayodhya hills. “In the monsoon, the view of waterfalls there is stunning. The long weekend gave us the opportunity to enjoy the view,” said one traveller.
Hotels full
Coastal destinations closer to home are experiencing similar demand. Digha and Mandarmani hotels report near-complete occupancy, with prices surging accordingly.
An air-conditioned room in Digha that typically costs ₹1,200 was priced at ₹3,000 for the weekend. Mandarmani hotels are charging at least 25 per cent premium rates.
“We have around 250 hotels affiliated, and all of those are full. We have to refuse customers now,” said Bipradas Chakraborty, secretary of the Digha-Sankarpur Hotelliers’ Association.
Industry happy
Travel industry experts view this surge as encouraging for the sector, particularly as it precedes the traditional peak season around Durga Puja.
“The long weekend allowed Calcuttans to travel in large numbers just before the actual tourist season around Durga Pujas. This is a big boost for the travel industry,” said Anil Punjabi, national committee member of the Travel Agents Federation of India’s eastern region.
MakeMyTrip’s data confirms the trend, with search and booking patterns showing strong travel intent. “Independence Day has emerged as a key travel occasion over the years,” said Rajesh Magow, the company’s co-founder and group CEO. “With Independence Day on a Friday, travel demand appears to be peaking two days earlier, on Wednesday, August 13th, giving early travellers a five-day window.”
The phenomenon spans destinations from neighbouring countries like Thailand, Singapore, and Vietnam to domestic favourites, including Goa and nearby spots like Digha, Mandarmani, and Purulia — demonstrating Calcuttans’ eagerness to make the most of the extended holiday weekend.
