India‘s airlines have been facing competition not only from within the industry but also from outside. There is an increasing trend of families (four people, owned car) who plan long holidays (at least a week) to travel either by road using expressways or by train (especially Vande Bharat) for distances less than or equal to 1,000 km.
And the reason behind this is high airline tickcosts.
“We had planned a trip to Udaipur recently,” said Navendra Singh, a travel enthusiast and an executive with a leading Mumbai-based real estate firm.
“For my family, which includes two kids, total airfare for the return journey amounted to ‘60,000. We decided to travel by road. We incurred a cost of close to ‘20,000. We reached Udaipur at our own convenient pace.”
76 per cent of travellers preferred buses between 6 pm and midnight, emphasizing the continuing popularity of late-night travel. Interest in electric buses gained momentum in 2023, with a larger fleet deployed, covering 600+ routes across India. EVs showcased success on shorter routes, with routes like Delhi-Haridwar-Rishikesh experiencing substantial growth.
Increasing sales of big and mid-range cars in cities and a growing number of women who can drive have also added to the trend of travelling by road.”Today, a family of four people, who plan a long holiday of at least one week, prefer to travel by road,” said Rakesh Sharma, sales executive at a mid-sized tours and travel company in Mumbai. “Usually, both spouses drive alternatively. They start their journey early in the morning to avoid a drive at night.”
He added that solo travellers still prefer to travel by air for a distance of less than 1,000 km.
