With 93% Indians planning to spend more or the same on travel in 2022 compared to a typical pre-pandemic year and 96% agreeing they like to eat and shop at local businesses to support local economy, Indian travelers are looking to adopt the new normal with more purpose as per the American Express Travel: Global Travel Trends Report, The survey report, based on data from seven countries including the United States, Australia, India, Canada, Mexico, Japan, and the United Kingdom further reveals that the motivation to travel for 48% Indians is for discovering new experiences, 46% for relaxing and 45% for exploring new destinations.
Overall, Indians think 2022 will be a better year for planning travel with most of the respondents saying travel will be less stressful this year than in 2021 and many are looking forward to regaining control over their trips in 2022 after feeling overwhelmed last year. The report also shows that like its counterparts, Indians are also traveling to see the people and places they love, celebrate important life events, embark on wish list trips, experience in-person events, and seek greater wellness and self-care. Highest amongst all the other surveyed countries, 91% surveyed Indians agree they will book a dream vacation in 2022 which they normally would not have considered before the pandemic while 87% want to book a once-in-a-lifetime vacation in 2022.
Talking about the travel trends in India, Manoj Adlakha, SVP and CEO, American Express Banking Corp., India said, “After two tough years, the travel sentiment amongst Indian travellers is upbeat where spending time with loved ones is a top priority. Our travel trends report shares that to make the most of the lost time, 94% of respondents agree they plan to travel more with family in 2022 than they did in 2021 while 89% shared that they are interested in multi-generational family trips than ever before.”
He further added, “With the resumption of all regular international flights and the upcoming summer holiday season, we are seeing a surge in travel bookings amongst our Cardmembers for both international and domestic travel. To make new memories, Indians are mostly booking vacations with their families and preferring experiences that support the local communities revive from the impact of the pandemic.”
Key insights from the American Express Travel: 2022 Global Travel Trends Report1 for the Indian respondents include:
1. Indians are ready to travel and spend more: 92% agree that they are willing to book a trip for 2022 even if they might have to cancel or modify it later. Nearly all surveyed Indians plan on taking a trip in 2022 with nearly a fourth saying they will take two vacations, and a fifth saying three vacations during the year. 94% of respondents plan to spend more on international travel in 2022 than they did in the previous year.
2. Impact and purpose driven travel on the mind of Indian travellers: Majority agree they want to have a positive impact on the community they are visiting and want to travel to destinations where they can immerse themselves in the local culture. Travelling responsibly is of high importance for the respondents as 94% stated they would take a ‘greencation’ and 93% are more likely to book travel with a brand that is committed to improving its environmental impact, ranking highest than their global counterparts.
3. Dream destinations are becoming a reality: Thinking about 2022 travel, 69% of respondents agree they want to travel to their dream destination this year. Five in ten respondents shared they are willing to travel solo now to visit their dream destination. Asia is the number one choice Indians want to explore in 2022 when thinking of their dream destination, and within Asia, exploring different cities within India itself remained the preferred choice for 51% of respondents.
4. Multiple activities, in-person events, and luxury drive choice of vacations and destinations: 94% of respondents prefer to visit destinations that have access to more than one scene (e.g., beach, city, mountain, desert, etc.) while 91% are interested in cultural immersion and all-inclusive luxury travel resorts than before the pandemic. 89% of consumers held off on traveling for major entertainment events last year but have plans to return to these types of events this year.
