Introduction

In 2025, the Indian calendar presents a rare phenomenon: two major holidays—Raksha Bandhan (August 8) and Independence Day (August 15)—fall on consecutive Fridays, effectively creating two long weekends in the first half of August. This unique overlap fuels a surge in short vacations, weekend getaways, and domestic travel bookings.

But how do such long weekends impact travel prices? Are travelers benefiting from discounts, or are brands capitalizing on demand with sharp price hikes?

Actowiz Solutions, a leader in travel price intelligence and real-time data scraping, set out to analyze the pricing behavior around these dates using its proprietary OTA scraping APIs and airfare tracking tools. The findings from this study offer rich insights for airlines, hotels, travel agents, and tourism boards to optimize pricing strategies, improve ad targeting, and boost booking conversions during festive seasons.

Case Study Objective

• Track flight and hotel price fluctuations around Raksha Bandhan and Independence Day 2025.

• Identify patterns in last-minute surges and early bird discounts.

• Provide actionable insights for businesses in the travel ecosystem.

• Showcase how Actowiz Solutions empowers stakeholders with real-time travel scraping.

Scraping Methodology

To deliver timely and relevant insights, Actowiz deployed targeted scraping campaigns across the following platforms:

1. Flight Sources

• Airline portals: IndiGo, Vistara, Air India, Akasa Air.

• OTA platforms: MakeMyTrip, Goibibo, Yatra.

2. Hotel Booking SFources

• Aggregators: Booking.com, Agoda, Airbnb, OYO.

• Filters: Location, star rating, room availability, price changes.

3. Routes & Destinations

• Airfare: Delhi → Goa, Mumbai → Udaipur, Bengaluru → Kochi.

• Hotels: Goa (Baga Beach) & Manali (Budget & mid-range stays).

4. Timeline

• Scraping Period: July 25 – August 20, 2025.

• Frequency: Twice daily (8 AM and 6 PM), simulating consumer browsing windows.

Airfare Trends – Raksha Bandhan Window

Let’s begin with the Raksha Bandhan long weekend from August 8 (Friday) to August 10 (Sunday). Travelers were mostly booking between August 6–7 (mid-week) for departures and returning by August 10.

Sample Data – Airfare Price Trends

August 🛫 Delhi to Goa

• Aug 6 (Wed): ₹3,400

• Aug 7 (Thu): ₹6,200 ↑

• Aug 8 (Fri): ₹7,800 (Peak Fare)

• Aug 9 (Sat): ₹6,100

• Aug 10 (Sun): ₹4,900

• Aug 11 (Mon): ₹3,700

• Aug 12 (Tue): ₹3,200 ↓

🡪 Trend Insight: Prices spike sharply for the weekend (Aug 8–9), then drop post-Sunday.

🛫 Mumbai to Udaipur

• Aug 6 (Wed): ₹2,800

• Aug 7 (Thu): ₹4,500

• Aug 8 (Fri): ₹6,900 (Peak Fare)

• Aug 9 (Sat): ₹5,300

• Aug 10 (Sun): ₹3,900

• Aug 11 (Mon): ₹3,100

• Aug 12 (Tue): ₹2,900

🡪 Trend Insight: Fare nearly doubles by Friday, then tapers down.

🛫 Bengaluru to Kochi

• Aug 6 (Wed): ₹2,700

• Aug 7 (Thu): ₹4,600

• Aug 8 (Fri): ₹5,200 (Peak Fare)

• Aug 9 (Sat): ₹4,400

• Aug 10 (Sun): ₹3,200

• Aug 11 (Mon): ₹3,000

• Aug 12 (Tue): ₹2,800

🡪 Trend Insight: Strong weekend surge followed by consistent drop.

Key Observations

• Fare Spike on Aug 8: A 129% increase was recorded in the Delhi–Goa sector, peaking on Raksha Bandhan morning.

• Last-Minute Premium: Flights booked less than 24 hours before departure (Aug 7 evening – Aug 8 morning) saw the steepest increases.

• Post-Weekend Correction: Prices normalized by Aug 11–12 across all routes.

Hotel Surge – Goa’s Coastal Hotspots

Beach destinations like Goa saw major demand spikes, especially around Baga Beach and Calangute.

Sample Data – Hotel Pricing (Goa)

• Seaside Inn

• Normal Price: ₹2,600

• Surge Price: ₹4,200

• Price Increase: +61.5%
  
  

• Ocean Breeze

• Normal Price: ₹3,200

• Surge Price: ₹5,100

• Price Increase: +59.3%
  
  

• Casa Bella

• Normal Price: ₹2,500

• Surge Price: ₹3,900

• Price Increase: +56%

Key Observations

• Most budget hotels offered no discounts, instead increasing rates by over 55–60%.

• Some hotels listed "Only 2 rooms left" badges, signaling real-time inventory scarcity.

• Highest bookings were on August 7 evening, indicating last-minute travel plans.

Independence Day Effect – Flight Surge Continues

The second long weekend began on August 15 (Friday), with travelers departing between Aug 14–15 and returning by Aug 18 (Monday).

Sample Data – Bengaluru → Kochi (Flight Prices)

• Aug 13 (Tue)

• Avg. Fare: ₹2,800

• Surge: +4% (Minimal increase)
  
  

• Aug 14 (Wed)

• Avg. Fare: ₹4,600

• Surge: +64% (Pre-holiday rush)
  
  

• Aug 15 (Thu – Independence Day)

• Avg. Fare: ₹5,200

• Surge: +85% (Peak travel day)
  
  

• Aug 16 (Fri)

• Avg. Fare: ₹4,400

• Surge: +57% (Extended travel trend)
  
  

• Aug 17 (Sat)

• Avg. Fare: ₹3,200

• Surge: +14% (Demand starts cooling)

Key Observations

• Fare spike was highest on August 15 (Independence Day), with limited seat availability.

• Return flights remained expensive till August 17 (Sunday evening).

• Many routes saw "sold out" tags by August 13, validating the trend of early booking.

Hill Stations – Discounted to Surging

Interestingly, hill station hotels—particularly in Manali—used a "pre-surge discount model" to attract early travelers.

Sample Data – Hotel Pricing (Manali)

1. Himalayan Inn

• Normal Price: ₹2,500

• Surge Price (Aug 15): ₹3,100 (+24% surge)

• Early Bird Price (Aug 12–13): ₹2,000

• Advance Booking Discount: 20%
  
  

2. Snowline Stay

• Normal Price: ₹2,200

• Surge Price (Aug 15): ₹2,800 (+27% surge)

• Early Bird Price (Aug 12–13): ₹1,800

• Advance Booking Discount: 18.1%

Key Observations

• Hotels offered discounts 3–5 days before Independence Day to lock bookings.

• Those who booked around Aug 10–12 saved ~20% on accommodation.

• By Aug 14–15, rates surged back due to high demand from Tier-2 city travelers.

The Actowiz Advantage – Real-Time Travel Scraping

All these insights were made possible using Actowiz Solutions’ Travel Scraping Suite, which includes:

1. Flight Fare Scraping API

• Tracks fare by route, carrier, and device type (desktop/mobile).

• Supports surge detection logic (e.g., +40% in 24 hours triggers an alert).

• Exports to CSV or integrates into CRMs for travel companies.

2. Hotel Rate Monitoring Tools

• Scrapes pricing by star rating, amenities, and cancellation policy.

• Detects scarcity messages ("only 1 left!", "price drop today!").

• Enables alerts when competitors change prices or promotions.

3. Travel Intelligence Dashboard

• Interactive dashboard showing fare & hotel trends over time.

• Filters by region, holiday, OTA vs. direct rates.

• Best for sales, pricing, and marketing teams at OTAs or hotel groups.

Business Benefits

Actowiz’s data provided real business value to partners:

Airlines

• Enhanced revenue management through surge pricing forecasts

• Optimized seat inventory during peak holiday periods
  
  

Hotel Chains

• Achieved 20% higher occupancy using early discount trigger alerts

• Better yield management through dynamic rate adjustments
  
  

Travel Agencies

• Ran targeted ad campaigns based on real-time price drops

• Improved ROI on marketing spend with predictive fare tracking
  
  

Tourism Boards

• Discovered high-demand travel routes to redirect traffic to lesser-known destinations

• Used data to craft offbeat city promotions

Conclusion – Surge or Discount?

Let’s answer the big question: Was August 2025 a price surge season or a discount window?

Raksha Bandhan (Aug 8):

• Verdict: Price Surge

• Flights surged up to 129%; hotels saw 55–65% hikes.

Independence Day (Aug 15):

• Verdict: Mixed (Early Discounts + Late Surge)

• Hotels offered early bird deals (~20% off), followed by surge pricing closer to the date.

Final Takeaway

The twin festivals of Raksha Bandhan and Independence Day created a volatile travel pricing environment, where the early bird truly caught the deal. Using Actowiz Solutions’ scraping technology and dashboards, travel companies gained the upper hand—anticipating consumer movement, responding to demand in real time, and optimizing pricing strategies.

Learn More >> 

Originally published at https://www.actowizsolutions.com