 "Alone, planned and indulgent: How Indians like their vacations")
New Delhi: More domestic travellers are now open to the idea of solo travel, says a recent survey.
“It is extremely pleasing to know that travel is topping the Indian consumer’s list, with over 97 per cent going on one or more domestic holiday in a year,” says Ankur Warikoo, CEO Groupon India.
The deals website recently released findings of a survey titled ‘Confessions of a Traveller,’ which claims to get into the minds of domestic tourists to discover their travel habits and some guarded travel secrets.
According to the survey, while travelling abroad is fairly popular, it is travel within the country that scores high for domestic tourists.
“While 45 per cent of Indian travelers prefer to travel with family, followed by 32 per cent with friends, a surprising 64 per cent are open to the idea of travelling solo,” says the survey.
Reasons that most travellers cite for going solo range from wanting to indulge in some quality “me” time and to discover true passions in life or even “perhaps in the hope of finding Mr or Ms Right.”
While international travel is fairly popular it is domestic travel that ranged high for Indian travelers with a whopping 97 per cent respondents undertaking one or more domestic trips a year.
Cheaper air fares and hotel rates have made international travel more affordable and appealing; this being reflected in the responses of 52 per cent Indian travelers who plan one or more international trips in a year.
When it comes to travel style, 41 per cent respondents prefer planning their itineraries and plans in advance, as opposed to picking up their bags and leaving at a short notice. 47 per cent however, responded that their travel style would depend on the situation.
According to the survey, 56 per cent of Indian travelers are explorers at heart, 8 per cent prefer to be safe and visit frequented places, and 36 per cent responded that they were a bit of both.
The survey says, “Attracted to the idea of romantic escapades in a foreign land, 21 per cent respondents are open to the idea of risque one-night stands while on holiday, and an identical percentage of respondents confessed to having drunk-dialed someone while on vacation.”
A majority of Indian travelers said they preferred to gorge on food and forgo their diet plans on vacation.
70 per cent of the respondents do not watch their weight while on vacation and go for the grub. Most respondents choose to gorge on local delicacies while travelling, but a significant number said they preferred to play it safe and stick to known cuisines such as Indian, Italian, Chinese and Mexican.
“With our exciting and wide variety of travel deals, and the findings of this survey, we are aiming to effectively tap the Indian traveler, and offer them memorable travel experiences,” says Warikoo.
PTI
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