Tourism and Economy: Indians who take more than three trips a year Create my trip report – View insights | Industry news

Tourism & Economy: MakeMyTrip’s inaugural “India Travel Trends Report” reveals a significant transformation in the tourism sector, with Indian travelers reshaping both domestic and international travel landscapes. One of the notable findings is the increase in the number of Indians making more than three trips per year, which has increased by 25 percent in 2023 compared to 2019. In addition, there has been a notable 46 percent increase in spontaneous bookings, indicating a growing trend of last-minute travel, ET reported.

Domestic travel trends

Cities in the second and third categories are witnessing a growing interest in spiritual travel, with searches for destinations with or around religious sites increasing by 97 percent in the past two years. Notable spikes include searches for Ayodhya, Ujjain and Badrinath, which saw a growth rate of 585 percent, 359 percent and 343 percent respectively in 2023 compared to the previous year. While perennial favorites like Ooty and Munnar remain popular for weekend getaways, lesser-known destinations like Jim Corbett have witnessed a remarkable growth of 131 percent in 2023 compared to the previous year.

International travel preferences

Dubai, Bangkok and Singapore emerge as the top choices for Indian travelers in international destinations, with London, Toronto and New York being the most sought-after long-haul destinations. Emerging international destinations such as Hong Kong, Almaty, Paro, Baku, Da Nang and Tbilisi have experienced notable growth in searches, indicating a growing interest in exploring unusual locations.

Insights from travel searches

The report draws insights from the travel searches of over 100 million annual active users and sheds light on the changing behavior of Indian travelers and their impact on the global travel industry. Family travel bookings increased by 64 percent in 2023 compared to the previous year, closely followed by a 23 percent growth in bookings from individual travelers.

Preferred payment methods and trends

UPI has emerged as the most preferred payment method for travel booking, accounting for nearly 40 percent of all transaction types, followed by credit cards. Travel vouchers have become the latest trend, with wedding gift vouchers being the most gifted. Half of all travel gift cards purchased are worth Rs 5,000 and Rs 10,000, indicating a growing trend of gifting travel experiences.