Key insights:
More than 70% of Indians prefer to book their summer holidays more than 30 days before the date of travel; less than one-tenth (8.87%) made bookings within 14 days of travel
Holidays to short-haul destinations in Southeast Asia (excluding SAARC countries) such as Thailand, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Singapore dominate with 32.10% of the total booking share
Trips to the Middle-East (17.10%), North America (17.20%), and Europe (16.10%) also popular amongst Indian travellers
Share of family holidays remain constant at 22%, while couple holidays drop by 4% points in the overall share.
Goa, Kochi, and Leh remain popular amongst domestic tourists during summer; Ahmedabad emerges as a surprising inclusion in the list
To most people who have been raised in India, the summer season has traditionally been associated with holidays to destinations both new and old. But have the increasing purchasing power and the rise of the millennial traveller changed the way Indians make plans for their summer holidays? If so, by how much?
It is these questions that Cleartrip, India’s leading travel and leisure platform, is answering with its Summer Travel Trends 2019 report. In the report, Cleartrip analysed data from bookings made by its users for the travel period between April 1 and May 15, 2019, to shed light on some extremely interesting insights and travel trends.
Planning is half the travel won: The report highlighted how Indians liked to plan their summer travels well in advance. Over 70% of Cleartrip users booked their trips more than a month in advance, while those who booked within three to four weeks window before their travel dates accounted for around 10.65%. Spontaneous travel plans were less popular during the summer, accounting for less than one-tenth (8.87%) of the total bookings.
Indians prefer short-haul travel: In terms of destinations, more and more travellers preferred booking short-haul holidays in 2019. Short-haul destinations in Southeast Asia (excluding the SAARC region) and the Middle-East – such as Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Thailand, and Singapore – were popular amongst Indians booking their summer vacations.
Within India and its neighbouring countries, travellers choose destinations that closer to them. For instance, Cleartrip users situated in New Delhi showed a preference for destinations such as Kathmandu and Leh, while those in Bangalore booked trips to Kochi and Hyderabad. Goa continues to remain popular with travellers on a pan-India level during the summer, while Ahmedabad marked a surprise entry in the list of most travelled-to domestic destinations in 2019 this summer.
Group booking trends: What made this trend particularly interesting was the fact that the share of family holidays booked in the overall travel chart remained constant at 22%, the same as last year while the share of couple holidays booked in the overall bookings decreased. The fact that the share of family travel in total bookings continued to hold strong ground is indicative of the growing inclination of Indian families looking at holidaying together to explore newer destinations together, pursue newer adventures, cross boundaries and gather newer travel experiences.
Speaking on the latest trends report, Balu Ramachandran, said, “With the summer coinciding with the end of the academic year for the school and college-going crowd across the country, Indians have traditionally associated the season with holiday opportunity. Our latest report is aimed at getting an in-depth understanding of the various trends which dominate holiday bookings made by travellers during this high-volume period. We will be looking at utilising these insights to create more relevant travel solutions for Cleartrip users across the country and to further enhance their holidaying experience through greater personalisation.”