The tourism sector experienced a significant rebound in 2023, with people eagerly embracing extensive domestic and international travel. Booking.com, a digital travel brand, has unveiled the travel preferences of Indian and international voyagers within and to India during the first half of 2023.
An intriguing trend observed is the growing inclination of people towards metropolitan areas such as New Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai, and Chennai, as well as hill stations like Manali and Rishikesh, and culturally rich destinations like Jaipur. Furthermore, consumer behaviour is evolving to prioritise unique, personalised, and memorable travel experiences.
In the first half of 2023, alongside hotels, alternative accommodations such as resorts, guest houses, homestays, hostels, apartments, and villas gained popularity among travellers.
“Despite macroeconomic challenges, travel has undeniably gained popularity in recent years. It’s heartwarming to witness significantly higher levels of optimism for travel in 2023 compared to the previous year. This increasing enthusiasm and unwavering desire to explore are reflected in the choices made by travellers who are increasingly opting for alternative accommodation options in addition to hotels,” said Santosh Kumar, Country Manager for India, Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Indonesia at Booking.com.
“We can confidently anticipate a year filled with exciting adventures as 86% of Indian travellers express optimism about their future travel plans in the next 12 months. This positive trend is expected to drive robust growth in the travel sector, and Booking.com is committed to making it easier for our travellers and partners to experience the world,” he added.
The company serves around 813 large corporates and over 58,000 SMEs and has 29,000 registered travel agents on its platform. In an exclusive conversation with ETTravelWorld, Sabina Chopra, COO, Corporate Travel and Head Industry Relations, Yatra.com said that Yatra is aiming to double its current corporate travel business in the next five years. Excerpts from the interview…
In the first half of 2023, the top domestic destinations booked by Indian travellers were New Delhi, Jaipur, Bangalore, Rishikesh, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune, Manali, and Gurgaon.For international travel, Indian travellers preferred to book trips to Dubai (United Arab Emirates), Jaipur (India), Bangkok (Thailand), London (United Kingdom), Singapore (Singapore), Vung Tau (Vietnam), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam), Paris (France), and Hanoi (Vietnam).
During the same period, the top inbound markets that visited India were the United Kingdom (cities: New Delhi, Mumbai), the United States of America (cities: New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore), Bangladesh (cities: Kolkata, New Delhi), Russian Federation (city: New Delhi), and the United Arab Emirates (cities: Mumbai, New Delhi)
Regarding accommodation types, travellers from India preferred to book hotels, apartments, resorts, villas, guest houses, bed and breakfast establishments, homestays, lodges, hostels, and holiday homes in the first half of 2023.
