As the year began, OYO Rooms CEO Ritesh Agarwal revealed some fascinating booking patterns for the New Year period. Lesser-known hill stations and spiritual destinations outpaced traditional favourites, such as Shimla and Manali, showing a shift in traveller preferences.
Coorg and Mussoorie Lead in Booking Surges
Coorg, the scenic hill station in Karnataka, witnessed an incredible 28x surge in bookings, followed by Mussoorie in Uttarakhand with a 10x rise. Lesser-known spots like Dehradun and Srinagar also saw an uptick in bookings, indicating a growing interest in exploring new destinations.
Boom in Spiritual Tourism
Spiritual tourism also experienced significant growth. Varanasi led with over 12,800 New Year bookings, followed by Ayodhya, which saw increased traffic due to its rise as a religious hub. Shirdi and Ajmer also registered massive increases, with booking surges of 940% and 761%, respectively.
OYO’s Record Performance
Globally, OYO hosted over 1.1 million guests on New Year’s Eve, a 58% increase from 2023. Late-night website traffic also spiked, with a notable 41% surge at 2 am, hinting at the rise of “certified night owls.” OYO reported Rs 132 crore in net profit for Q1 FY25, marking a significant turnaround from the previous year’s loss.
With new hotels opening globally and expanding options for diverse travellers, OYO is adapting to the evolving travel landscape, ushering in 2025 with strong growth in both leisure and spiritual tourism.
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