As soon as India opened up a lot of Indians started packing their bags to explore new destinations in 2022. Everyone was keen to see the world after being 'locked up' in their homes for over two years. First the trend was to explore India and as the globe started opening up, there were countries getting back on everyone's lists.
As per a survey by the Travel Lifestyle Network 24% Indians took at least one vacation every month. Now in 2023 it is to be seen that people might take to leisure travel much more.
“People around the world are feeling overwhelmingly more optimistic about travelling in 2023 compared to 2022. Despite some current instability felt globally, nearly 75% of Indian travellers report that travelling will always be worth it,” said Santosh Kumar, country manager for India, Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Indonesia at Booking.com.
Whereas, Global network of luxury and experiential travel agency, Virtuoso, stated, “It’s undeniable that the future is bright, with travel sales in 2023 pacing 47% higher than 2019.”
Kayak in its survey of 1,900 Indians also noted that 78% of respondents are ‘excited to get back to travelling in 2023’.
Travellers aren't choosing the usual destinations
Kayak also said that 60% of the travellers consider them as the 'curious travellers.' And a lot of people are now choosing the unusual sites as opposed to the popular tourist destinations. Travellers are now looking to explore lesser-known places.
Booking.com’s Kumar, says “The mood is shifting from one of hopeful uncertainty to bold adaptability.”
Travellers are choosing regeneration and not sustainability
Tourism New Zealand also listed a trend called ‘regenerative travel.' Which means giving back to people and the place as one of the top trends of 2023.
43% of Indians citing sustainability as a main criteria for 2023 summer holidays, according to Kayak. As per Booking.com India topped the APAC Travel Confidence index in terms of intent to travel sustainably with 93% of the respondents who agreed on the importance of making sustainable travel decisions.
Experiences and not destinations
Travel for many people has changed from just ticking off the destinations to gaining unique experiences. As Alex McEwan, country Manager – South Asia, Virgin Atlantic, shared with Business Insider India, “One of the main customer segments which we focus on at Virgin is the ‘experience embracers,’ those who are looking for a premium travel experience which enhances their quality of life.”
Booking.com observes that 71% of Indian travellers want to experience “complete culture shock in 2023." Indians want to experience travelling to locations with different cultural experiences and languages to exploring lesser-known cities with hidden gems.
“With the vast number of Indian students in the UK, many of their friends from India will be keen to visit and tie their trip in with a match. Even if they can’t get a ticket for a match, many travellers are thrilled to visit the stadium of their favourite team and do a tour, visiting the trophy room and the dressing room and seeing the pitch first hand,” said McEwan.
“Travellers are browsing luxuriously but booking affordably”
Booking.com states that Indians are seeking “more bang for their buck” by going on off season destinations and going on longer vacations.
The ‘No-Normal’ reported on unexpected travel trends for 2023, “travellers are browsing luxuriously but booking affordably.”
“Globally 35% of travellers plan to stay in one- to three-star hotels in 2023, and 38% plan to book a vacation with bonus extras, such as plush toiletries or free breakfast,” stated the No-Normal report.
Inner peace and digital detox
Observed by Booking.com in its annual Travel Predictions 2023 research 64% of Indian travellers are looking for ‘off the grid’ vacations.
Interestingly, Booking.com states “there’s a desire – even for millennials and Gen-Zs who never lived it – to disappear into the romanticism of a pre-digital era”.
What are your thoughts on these new observed travel trends in India? Let us know what type of travel do you prefer. And are you too leaning towards a more sustainable travel lifestyle.
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