A survey by Yatra.com has brought forth the high spirits of Indian travellers despite the depreciating rupee. The survey showed that more than 60 per cent of Indians are eager to travel and remain unaffected by the dip in rupee and continue to pursue their holiday plans.
This survey showcased the changing paradigm of Indian travellers and how holidays and travel have become a priority amongst Indians. When asked whether they would wait for the rupee to rise and then go on holiday, 18 per cent said no, while 33 per cent said that they would like to wait till the rupee stabilises. The balance 49 per cent said that it does not matter and that they would go on a holiday anyway.
Interestingly, apart from the South East Asian countries, Europe has emerged as a destination of choice, primarily because of the Rupee remaining steady vis-à-vis the Euro. These destinations were followed in popularity by the United Kingdom and the United States, in that order. Only 24 per cent of the respondents chose to travel within India, while 27 per cent said that the location would depend on the expenses involved. The majority 49 per cent said that it doesn’t matter, showing that there is a significant segment of travellers for whom rupee fluctuations do not really matter.
Sharat Dhall, president, Yatra.com said, “The rupee weakening has not really had an adverse impact on Indian travellers as most of them are unfazed and continue to make holiday plans. Savvy Indian traveller’s book well in advance these days and hence are confident about getting good deals within their budget. The drop in oil prices has resulted in lower flight prices this year and a plethora of hotel deals has also helped in driving down the overall cost of an International break. Also, most travellers are optimistic of the rupee strengthening and are very confident that the fluctuation will not wreck their holiday plans.”
Sightseeing emerged as a favourite activity with almost 48 per cent of travellers planning to spend most of their money on it. A fascinating fact that cropped up was how around 35 per cent of the respondents are looking to compromise on air travel in terms of premium and economy seating followed by shopping when it comes to cutting cost or managing budgets for their holidays.