BHUBANESWAR: The long weekends this month have brought in a tourism boom to holiday destinations of Puri, Gopalpur and Chilika. Hotels and resorts - both big and small - in all three places are already sold out. Puri, for that matter, is overbooked. The long weekends beginning August 11 (Raksha Bandhan) till August 15 and then August 18 (Janmashtami) to 21 have seen a rise in bookings by domestic vacationers. “Getting a hotel booking in Puri is impossible now and if lucky, one has to shell out a premium. We tried booking a suite in a 3-star property but even that costs nothing less than `10,000 for August 14 and 15,” said Biplab Parida, an IT professional from Bhubaneswar.
Stakeholders in the industry said the room rates are up by almost 15 to 20 per cent and so are the occupancies as compared to the pre-pandemic level. They blame increase in prices of food and beverages and manpower wages for the cost hike.
Mayfair, a luxury resort and hotel in Puri is selling its meal-inclusive room plan at `33,250 for a package of two days on August 10 and 11 while it is sold out on the remaining days till August 15. Suites are priced at `35,000 per night during this period. When it comes to 3-star to 4-star properties and holiday homes in Puri, the prices on online travel portals during the weekend start at `6,000 (without breakfast) and go up to `25,000 per night. Swosti properties at Chilika and Gopalpur were booked a month back, a majority of bookings being direct and online.
Considering the trend, hoteliers and tour operators feel good times are in the offing for the industry ahead. Gagan Sarangi, Chairman Indian Association of Tour Operators, Odisha Chapter said the market is going to do really well throughout the ensuing tourism season that begins in October and ends in February.
Hotel and Restaurants Association of Odisha, Chairman, JK Mohanty said as holiday destinations like Jammu and Kashmir, Goa, Rajasthan and Kerala are already booked for the entire tourism season, the travellers are going to shift to locations like Odisha. “The tourism market will get good business if the present trend is any indication. Provided, there is no new disease outbreak,” he added.