India at the airport

Top of the week to you.

It is coming up to Diwali this week. It is also going to be a long weekend, the second of the last few weeks. As is the norm since 2001, Diwali in Mumbai will have to go on without me. The good news is I am not the only one making the most of the wonderful series of holidays.

If my recent travels and the trouble to book a homestay are a gauge to go by, then we as an industry are back in business. This month’s travels have included, Delhi and Bengaluru where hotels and flights on the weekday visits were at capacity. Thankfully, I have not spent too much time in transit. The little chance I had though was an interesting social study of the opportunity presenting itself.

I had more time than usual at the Bengaluru airport for this visit. The lines were short as usual though it felt a lot different this time around. The travelling mix was a hark back to the early 2008 days. It is a sure shot indicator of our economy improving when I compete with travelling families and the elderly for a coffee shop table.

Another happy indicator is that our conversations are no longer on just the economy followed inevitably with a prayer for it to get going again. I picked up whiffs of conversations on politics, cricket, pilot salaries, airport redevelopment, family woes, office boasts and thankfully, holiday plans.

It is a nice time to be travelling because the buzz is back. For sure, this mood is trickling to hotels and restaurants. Which I found out while booking the homestay for my Diwali exodus.

This is the first time this decade I am not going down to my hideaway in Goa. So like the dating scene, I had to find the ‘right one’ which meant a good deal of research, negotiations and even cajoling. Holiday demand is back in full force which meant my options were dwindling even three weeks before Diwali. When owners revert to the old arrogance and dismiss options, it is a sure shot sign that hotels and resorts know they are in demand. Another obvious one is the rate, which is returning to the glory days.

Not just holiday places, business hotels too are bringing back the attitude. The four-star Delhi hotel on this visit was not worth the Rs6,000 we paid, though we had little choice. They were even sold out the day before my booking, so a senior colleague had to stay elsewhere. I do hope our return to high RevPAR is with grounded sensibility and a value-for-money proposition.

Meanwhile, I found what I was looking for, but the search was tough and should not be so.

It looks like we are going to have a good Diwali and a very prosperous year.

Have a good week.