Online travel portal Yatra.com, which conducted its annual monsoon survey, revealed that nearly 81 per cent respondents are planning to travel during monsoon. Another major finding from the survey showcased that 69 per cent people would prefer to travel by air rather than travel by road to escape the hustle bustle of the season. As an impact of GST, the survey revealed that 56 per cent of the respondents said that their preference of luxury travel has been adversely affected as against 48 per cent who were willing to spend more than INR 50, 000 per person on travel which was revealed in Yatra’s annual summer survey 2017. One of the key observations derived out of the monsoon survey was also that 43.5 per cent respondents are willing to spend INR 2,500 to INR 5,000 on accommodation per night. While a majority of 47.2 per cent of the respondents are looking to travel for one to four days, 45.9 per cent of the people are planning their vacation for almost 15 days. This indicates that monsoon travel has gradually become a popular travel season.
As a result of the frequent airline flash sales, more than 37 per cent respondents booked their tickets at least one to three months in advance. Monsoon also seemed to be the family bonding time with over 76 per cent respondents looking to go for family vacation. Almost 73 per cent people are seeking unique experiences in India over holidaying at international destinations. While Goa and Munnar continued to be the prominent choice, north eastern destinations have emerged amongst the top choices of travellers this monsoon. The survey also found that 43 per cent Indians believe that relaxation during holidays is the key reason to travel, underlining the urban Indian’s need to escape the grind of everyday life. The findings further suggested that a 80 per cent people prefer to make payments via plastic money. With 57 per cent respondents opting for ‘staycation’ during long weekends.
Commenting on the findings, Sharat Dhall, COO (B2C), Yatra.com, said, “Individuals, these days, are taking more frequent vacations to unwind from their daily routine. It is very encouraging to see that once what was labelled as an off season is now becoming a popular travel period especially due to the upcoming long weekends. We have also seen an increased demand for newer destinations this monsoon with places like Kerala and Andaman and Nicobar Islands making it to our top five domestic destinations. While luxury travel has experienced a hit due to GST, we expect things to be back to normal soon.”
