‘Smart weekend’ following Eid takes travellers from Pune to Istanbul, Middle East

PUNE: Eid-ul-Fitr on Wednesday has given travellers from Pune an opportunity to take a quick trip over the ‘long weekend’. People have applied for leave on Thursday and Friday to enjoy a short break between Wednesday and Sunday.



Travel firms said people are recognizing the trend of ‘smart weekend’ wherein they take a day or two off to extend holidays. A growing trend is travellers visiting Middle Eastern destinations in the month of Ramzan and for Eid festivities. Popular spots include

Dubai

, Abu Dhabi, Istanbul and Oman.

Nilesh Bhansali, director of the Travel Agents Association of Pune said people are travelling to Dubai, Goa and Dandeli this long weekend. “Travellers are making use of this opportunity to witness the Eid festivities in Dubai and enjoy low-cost five star facilities,” said Bhansali.

Anand Menon of FCM Travel Solutions said, “We have seen an 8%-10 % surge in bookings from Pune. Lucknow and Hyderabad are popular destinations, so are Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Qatar and Turkey. We have also received queries for regions like

Malaysia

, Bhutan and Indonesia.”

SOTC Travel’s Daniel D’Souza said “We have seen a major surge in bookings for post-Ramzan travel. Many are planning a vacation to short haul destinations. There has been a demand for Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Thailand and

Singapore

.”