Tracking consumer travel sentiment across India, global travel technology company, OYO has published a Mid-Summer Vacation Index 2022. As per the report, over 61% of Indian travellers plan to take vacations this summer, out of which a whopping 94% showed a strong preference to travel domestically.
This shows that despite the opening of international air travel, exploring local destinations is here to stay in 2022. Interestingly, every 1 in 2 Indian travellers plan to head out on their first trip since the 2020 lockdown this summer. This is a strong indicator of the bounce back in travel confidence across India, mainly due to mass vaccination drives, combined with the receding pandemic severity.
With about 65% votes a majority of travellers are keen on leisure trips, for a much-needed break from the routine. In December 2021, as travel opened domestically, most respondents had preferred travelling mostly to meet their family and friends after a long time due to the pandemic. While there are certain trend shifts, short trips continue to be the top choice among travellers. Nearly 55% of respondents still prefer shorter trips of about 1-3 days. As per OYO’s survey, over 50% Indians opted to travel with friends, while 26.5% said they would love to spend their vacation with family. 13% of respondents also wished to go solo this summer.
Over the past two years, Indians have embraced spontaneity when it comes to travel. This trend continues to dominate travel decisions even today. 1 in every 3 Indians prefer booking their travel within the same week. With 44% upvotes, hotels continue to be the preferred choice of accommodations, followed by alternate accommodation options such as villas and homestays.
Commenting on the ever-evolving consumer trends, Shreerang Godbole, SVP – Product & Chief Service Officer – OYO said: “We have already had two record breaking festive weekend bookings in April. Over the Good Friday and Vishu week, we received 8 lakh bookings, the highest ever in 2022, surpassing New Years. Over the next couple of weeks, we expect this demand to further rise across destinations. People are much more open to taking smaller breaks, working from a scenic location, or even making their travel bookings at the very last minute. Alongside these trends, consumers are now looking for higher personalization and flexibility – when it comes to digital payments, easy booking modifications, or even support to resolve queries.”
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