DELHI
A new study reveals that the number of Indians planning to travel abroad in 2014 has gone up by 21 per cent compared to last year. This study by Tripadvisor was revealed in the Outbound Travel Trends report on September 17. The findings are based on the website traffic during the period January 1 to June 30, 2014.
The results show that Indians prefer travelling closer home with Asian cities dominating the ‘Top 20 Destinations’ and Asia being the ‘Top Continent’. US takes number 1 spot in the ‘Top Countries’ category. The data reveals interesting findings in the ‘Emerging Destinations’ and ‘Emerging Countries’ categories with Ambergris Caye, Belize topping the list in the former category and China leading in the latter respectively.
“From destination preferences to cuisine choices to what Indian travellers like to do while on holiday, the TripAdvisor Outbound travel look back for the first half of 2014 reveals a lot about the way we travel. With interest in destinations such as Belize, Brazil, Tokyo and Bhutan growing at a rapid pace, and alternate forms of accommodation such as vacation rentals and B&B’s being used while on a foreign vacation, Indian travellers definitely seem to be coming of age” says Nikhil Ganju, Country Manager, TripAdvisor India.
Looking at the accommodation space, it seems Indians are moving away from being traditional holiday goers with respect to lodging preferences. The global statistics show that almost 30% favour options such as bed&breakfast, vacation rentals etc. vs hotels (70%). This trend is further reflected in the global room rates data with almost 50% outbound Indians opting for rooms up to Rs 5,000.
When it comes to recreational activities at the holiday destination, global numbers indicate that majority of Indian travellers prefer outdoor things to do. Almost 30% look at ‘outdoor’ activities followed by ‘cultural’ activities at nearly 25%. Examining country specific data – ‘outdoor’ emerges number 1 in the ‘Top Attractions’ category in US and Thailand as well however, in the UK it is ‘sightseeing’ that takes the top spot (14.68%) followed closely by ‘cultural’ (14.16%) and then ‘outdoor’ (12.96%).
Musafirnamah Bureau
