INDIANS PREFER HILL STATIONS FOR WEEKENDS

Most Indians prefer driving to hill stations over beaches or adventure holidays for weekend getaways, a survey said today. "Over 40 per cent travellers choose hill stations over beaches and adventure holidays. Driving the distance is the key factor while planning weekend gateways," said a report based on the Weekend Getaway Travel Survey conducted by travel portal Cleartrip. "Weekend getaways become the perfect power nap between hectic, stressful, work lives. Fortunately, more people are waking up to the benefits of short breaks and extended weekends," Cleartrip Chief Operating Officer Samyukth Sridharan said in the report. The 'Cleartrip Weekend Getaway' data is based on hotel bookings made from March 2014 to July 2014. Travellers mostly decide to take a break from home as well as work and pack their bags to a hilly retreat within city limits, away from cellular phone networks and pollution, the survey said. Hill stations are followed by beach destinations, with around 23 per cent travellers choosing to dive into the waters and picnic under the sun, it said. Beaches are followed by heritage spots (15 per cent), pilgrimage spots (10 per cent) and adventure spots (5 per cent), it said. Distance played a major factor in deciding a destination as the time taken to get there is critical, since all travellers look at a short two to three-day retreat, the survey said. Putting together a weekend getaway is as much as a pre-planned activity, as it is a spontaneous one. "While about 35 per cent travellers seem to plan their weekends only three days before a date of travel, an equally organised chunk of travellers seem to plan them well in advance," it said.