The propensity of Indians to spend on travel has clearly increased as observed in a survey by online travel portal, Yatra.com. The survey shows that more than 25 per cent Indians are willing to spend over INR50,000 on their winter vacation. While 34.9 per cent people are willing to spend between INR25,000 to INR50,000 on their vacation.
The survey showcased that Indians have started taking frequent holidays through the year, albeit for shorter durations. About 81.2 per cent respondents prefer to take holidays of up to seven days, while only 5.4 per cent opt for holidays for more than 15 days. A whopping 72.8 per cent people take four or more holidays a year.
While Indians enjoy holidaying, the survey found that 18.2 per cent Indians are hooked on to their phones even during vacations. But there were also 28 per cent respondents who said they switch off completely from work, while 53.8 per cent Indians will check their phone at least once a day to stay connected.
The survey also found that just 13.4 per cent respondents were keen to stay at a relative or a friend’s place on vacation, while 81.6 per cent preferred to stay at hotels. The survey found that 45.7 per cent Indians prefer staying at two-three star hotels, and nearly 20 per cent stay at four-five star hotels. The new upcoming trend that the survey revealed was that five per cent Indians are looking for home stays which was relatively negligible in the past.
The survey shows that while only 16.1 per cent Indians opt for travelling with their families, a staggering 39 per cent Indians are looking to holiday with their friends and 37 per cent looking to travel with their partners.
Indians have a varying Travel Quotient when it comes to vacations. While most Indians (48.1 per cent) prefer a retreat in the lap of nature, the beach holidays are also popular with 15 per cent Indians. Hobby-centric holidays are also on the rise- 13 per cent admitting to being adventure junkies, 12 per cent admitted to travelling to satiate the foodie within them, 7.1 per cent admitted to wandering in search of the historical monuments, and shopaholics accounted for 4.8 per cent.
With the smart phone revolution, there has been a sizable increase in mobile bookings for holidays. Around 19.8 per cent Indians have started to use various mobile apps for their travel bookings,and now only7.5 per cent of the people prefer the travel agents, while the remaining still prefer booking holidays on their desktops.
The survey also saw an increase in people willing to travel abroad, with more than 25 per cent opting for international travel this winter season. Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and Dubai are popular with those heading abroad, while amongst the Indian holiday destinations, Goa, Kerala and Rajasthan continue to remain hot favourites.
Travel blogs and social media emerged as major influencers when it comes to choosing a travel destination; with 30.8 per cent Indians claiming that they refer to them. Many Indians were influenced by family and friends, and only a select 6.3 per cent are inspired by movies or TV serials to pick their next holiday destination.
Sharat Dhall, president Yatra.com, commented, “Vacationing this winter seems to be the accepted norm amongst most Indians. We at Yatra.com, have seen a significant increase in holiday bookings, both domestic and international, on a year on year basis. Clearly, Indians love to travel and are happy to spend on their vacation breaks. What is interesting is the fact that travellers would rather stay at hotels, rather than stay over with relatives or friends we picked this insight in our latest advertising campaign.”