Vrindavan, Bengaluru among most booked Valentine's Day destinations: Report

Average duration of stays increases from last year; people willing to travel on weekdays: OYO

Vrindavan, Bengaluru and Hyderabad are the top three booked destinations for hotels this Valentine’s Day in that order, said hospitality company OYO on Tuesday citing its data.

Vrindavan’s hotel bookings increased 231 per cent from last year; it was followed by Bengaluru (51 per cent), Hyderabad (47 per cent), Pune (45 per cent), Kolkata (38 per cent), Chennai (35 per cent), and Mumbai (19 per cent).

A majority of travellers are opting for hill stations over beach destinations for their Valentine’s Day vacation. The average duration of all stays has increased from 2 days in 2022 to 4 days in 2023, indicating consumer demand for longer trips: a trend popularised after the coronavirus pandemic started easing.

Budget-friendly properties remain the go-to accommodation option for majority travellers, while some consumers are willing to spend on premium properties.

“It is interesting to note that people are now willing to travel on weekdays as well when there is a good opportunity. The booking trend clearly shows that people in smaller cities are also as ambitious as their counterparts in metros when it comes to spending on experiences,” said an OYO spokesperson.

As Valentine’s Day is on a Tuesday, booking trends indicate that consumers are keen to combine it with the weekend.

The company said there is a nearly 35 per cent increase in bookings for Valentine’s Day. This is similar to the record spike in demand recently during the Republic Day week, a public holiday weekend that witnessed a spike in demand for leisure destinations after the peak holiday season. On January 26, Goa clocked in the highest share in bookings at around 75 per cent.