Analysing travel search data from over 100 million annual users, Indian online travel facilitator MakeMyTrip's India Travel Trends Report said credit card is the most used instrument to book high-value trips.
Credit Card Most Used For High-Value Transactions To Claim Benefits
Credit card is the most used payment mode for high-value transactions such as for booking international hotels and flights. This can be attributed to the benefits associated with credit card payments, the report said.
UPI is the most preferred payment method for booking travel, using which almost 40 per cent of all transactions are done, followed by the use of credit cards.
Key Insights
The number of individuals taking more than three trips per year surged by 25 per cent in 2023 compared to 2019. Family travel bookings witnessed a staggering 64 per cent surge, followed by a 23 per cent growth in solo traveller bookings from 2022. Makemytrip claimed a 45 per cent surge in search activity in 2023 compared to the pre-pandemic period. Almost 46 per cent of domestic flights are booked less than a week before the travel date. In contrast, about half of all international bookings are made at least two weeks in advance. In terms of domestic destinations, Delhi is the most searched city, with 11.2 per cent of people searching for it, followed by Mumbai at 7.2 per cent.
Domestic Travellers
Tier-2 and tier-3 cities are embracing spiritual journeys, with searches related to religious spots growing 97 per cent in the last two years. Searches for Ayodhya grew by 585 per cent, Ujjain by 359 per cent and Badrinath by 343 per cent in 2023 as compared to 2022. Weekend getaways are another favourite among Indian travellers, with searches for Jim Corbett growing 131 per cent and also, OOtty and Munnar. 50 per cent of all domestic flyers pick flights between 9 am and 6 pm irrespective of destination or origin. Tomato Cucumber Cheese Lettuce Sandwich is the most ordered in-flight meal on domestic flights. December and May are the most favoured months of travel. For Hostels and Apartments, the preference is for those less than Rs 2,500 per night but for Villas, it is higher.
International Trips
On the international travel search front, Dubai, Bangkok, and Singapore remain at the top with 30 per cent, while London, Toronto and New York are the most searched long-haul destinations. Searches for emerging international destinations grew by multi-fold in 2023 from 2022 such as Hong Kong (232 per cent surge), Kazakhstan's Almaty (443 per cent), Bhutan's Paro (207 per cent), Azerbaijan's Baku (193 per cent), Vietnam's Da Nang and Georgia's Tbilisi. Budget friendliness, easy visa and shorter hauls or direct flights are the reasons for people to choose these destinations, the report says.
Only one-third of international bookings are made more than a month before the travel date, suggesting a flexible approach to international travel planning among Indian travellers.
Regional Travel Insights
For travellers from Delhi, Rishikesh and Amritsar are the most searched destinations, with most of them showing a preference for flights between 12 PM and 6 PM, and similar to northern states that have a higher inclination towards hostels.
Mumbai travellers search for Goa and Pune the most, with Maharashtra leading in domestic hotel searches and favour villas.
In Kolkata, Digha and Mandarmani are highly searched by travellers, and they tend to book flights well in advance. Eastern states tend to prefer hotels, the report said.
Chennai like other southern states leans towards alternative accommodations and searches mostly for destinations like Madurai and Pondicherry. Bangalore's travellers search the most about Mysore, Coorg, and Mangalore.
