Handstand over hangovers seems to be the mantra for many youngsters who are not interested in splurging a bomb at star hotels and pubs, drinking like crazy, and sleeping the whole day on January 1.
Many have opted for quiet getaways to spend NYE with their loved ones. The choice of hideaway happens to be remote beachside and hill locations, away from the crowd.
Ankur Bhatia, executive director at Bird Group, says, “We didn’t plan any loud party with DJ at our wellness getaway in Rishikesh for NYE, and we are sold out. Ganga Arati and yoga on the banks of river Ganga in a tranquil environment is what our guests have requested for. Surprisingly, many millennials have asked for local cuisines, river rafting, a visit to Beatles Ashram and exploring local markets in their packages.”
While Manu Rishi Guptha, CEO at Niraamaya Retreats, mentions, “In the present scenario, daily stress can take its toll on the body and mind. Instead of spending hours in traffic, a vacation that rejuvenates your body and clears your mind is being preferred among the age group of 35 plus.”
In today’s world where all of us are surrounded by stressful routines and unhealthy habits, most of our resolutions are to try and gear ourselves towards a healthier lifestyle. Taking these resolutions one step further, people have turned them into an extension of where they spend their New Year eve too. “It is true; the trend is turning away from loud parties to quiet getaways. The trend has begun recently, and not only the older ones but the young clientele like it too,” informs Sanjeev K Nayar, GM at Welcom Heritage group, as he adds, “Many of our nature resorts that are located in offbeat locations are completely sold out during this New Year’s period. It seems most of the people just want to curl up, relax in a noise and pollution-free place to loosen up.”
The corporate sector, in particular, gets this time of the year to relax and unwind with their families. More than party and exhausting travel itineraries, young and mid-aged corporate professionals look forward to rejuvenating. Sarbendra Sarkar, MD at Cygnett Hotels and Resorts, believes the wellness aspect is getting redefined in more ways than one. He says, “Tourists now prefer creating moments by being with family or friends, having meaningful conversations and idyllic time during a stay. Hence, the loud party (even though popular still) is getting replaced by an isolated and peaceful environment. This trend commands an aspiration value over party fever that a city life anyway offers throughout the year.”
One thing is a given that NYE is everybody’s time to escape their routine life, it is an event you plan for well in advance, every year. “Although all our properties are full this time of the year, what is notable is that most of our properties in offbeat locations got sold out well in advance, some even before the start of December,” informs Dharamveer Singh Chouhan, CEO at Zostel and he elaborates, “The major difference between the selection of destination that we have observed is the age groups — majority of our guests from the age group of 18-25 has opted for our more well-known property locations. As soon as we go over 25 we have noticed a change, where people have opted for our lesser-known locations, like Vagamon, Mukteshwar, Mashobra or Kotkhai.”
