Companies and hotels are reporting softening of demand for January after it had a flying start with a long weekend on New Year’s Eve that spilled over into the first week of 2022.
The sudden surge in covid-19 related infections due to the Omicron variant and subsequent restrictions and closures have dashed the hopes of the sector.
Firms like Thomas Cook, Luxury Escapes and Easemytrip said early numbers indicate that demand has petered off, some forecasting a 50-60% slump in business. MakeMyTrip is offering customers last-minute cancellation and date change options for the deluge of requests it is getting.
“While pent-up appetite persists, currently travel is largely due to urgent personal/business requirements and this is understandable in the prevalent environment/ restrictions,” said Rajeev Kale, president and country head for holidays, MICE (mice meetings incentives conferences and exhibitions) and visa at Thomas Cook (India).
Its…