This summer, Indians labor from hills and check into pool villas; in May, the flight hunt reaches a record high.

This year's summer is hotter than usual, therefore Indians are traveling at an unprecedented rate. Before booking a hotel, they are hurrying to learn about special features that will help them avoid the heat.Although there has been some rain in certain areas of the nation, heat waves are sweeping across vast tracts of territory, causing flight searches to reach all-time highs thus far in May. "Searches for domestic flight travel are up 20 percent and searches for international flight travel are up 70 percent over the previous year," stated Aloke Bajpai, group chief executive, chairman, and managing director of online travel aggregator Ixigo (OTA).Manoj Sihag, director of Echor Hotels & Resorts, noted that among the most sought-after features are homes with climate control systems, swimming pools or recreational access to neighboring bodies of water, and shaded outdoor spaces like gardens or terraces where visitors can unwind in cooler surroundings.Devendra Parulekar, the founder of SaffronStays, a luxury villa and vacation home rental firm, stated that pool villas are in great demand.Strong demand is driving increasing occupancy rates at 3- and 4-star hotels in hill areas, according to Sandeep Arora, director of Brightsun Travel. "We're witnessing a 10-20 percent rise in short-haul destinations compared to last year, with an estimated increase of 30-40 percent during weekends."According to Bharatt Malik, senior vice-president for Yatra Online's air and hotel companies, there is an increased demand for 4-star hotels, resorts, and villas. In the midst of the summer heat, travelers are putting comfort and high-quality experiences first. We have seen a 15–25% increase in 4-star hotels, resorts, villas, and retreats near major towns like Corbett, Jaipur, Coorg, and Pondicherry compared to the previous year."Many Indian professionals combine work and play by taking staycations in hill stations, which results in a spike in inquiries and bookings for lodging for hotel chains such as Ayatana Hospitality.

"These locations offer modern amenities and high-speed internet connectivity, making them perfect for working remotely," stated Vishal Tony, Ayatana Hospitality's founder and managing director.The chief technology officer of SaffronStays recently managed his work while staying at one of their hotels in Mussoorie for ten days. Although the majority of offices are now fully operational, Malik from Yatra highlighted that other businesses are still operating remotely or in a hybrid mode, with the tendency of working from home seeing a spike during the summer's long weekends.