This year-end, even sky-high airfares have failed to dampen the enthusiasm of Indian fliers.

Tour operators have witnessed a 25 to 30 per cent increase in domestic leisure travellers for the New Year week as compared to last year. Adding to their cheer, passenger air bookings for this week have already crossed the “impressive” figures for the last weekend of 2007, said travel trade managers.

“In 2008, the 26/11 terror attacks and economic slowdown badly affected business. So a recovery was inevitable. What is more promising is the fact that we are doing better than 2007, which was a good year,” said Anup Kanuga from Bathija Travels in Kalbadevi.

Goa and Kerala continue to be the hottest domestic destinations.

International travel too has bounced back with a 15 per cent rise in the number of people flocking to Thailand and Hong Kong. Istanbul and Cairo are also high on the Indian tourist’s list.

Passengers are a mix of group travellers, honeymooners and small families. “First-time vacationers travel in groups while families that have a member familiar with foreign travel prefer customised packages,” said Ashutosh Mehere, vice-president (Flexi-Hol), Cox and Kings (India) Ltd.

Unlike last year, there are no discounts by desperate airlines and hotels, and this year's vacation costs approximately 15 per cent more. Travel managers attribute this to late planning. “People who started planning their post-December 15 getaway after November struggled to get bookings because everything is full,” said Mehere.