TripAdvisor has announced the results of the second edition of their annual India Travel Trends Survey for 2013 conducted among 3200 online respondents. Despite an optimistic disposition on their holiday plans at the beginning of 2012 and being upbeat about their holiday calendar even mid-year, people have actually cut back on vacation time in 2012. However, travellers continue to be bullish about their holiday plans for 2013 with 41 per cent respondents planning to increase their vacation time next year.
According to Nikhil Ganju, Country Manager-TripAdvisor India, “Rising airfares, high hotel room costs and persistent inflation appear to be the main issues daunting holiday goers this year and travellers have expressed their concern about these trends continuing in the coming year. However, for now holiday intent for 2013 looks promising.”
He further added that another striking trend is that 40 per cent respondents who experienced some form of adventure activity on their holidays this year, indicating adventure travel clearly to be a growing driving force for domestic vacationers.
According to last year’s survey, 64 per cent holidaymakers took an international holiday in 2011. At the beginning of 2012 people were confident of their travel plans and 85 per cent respondents estimated they will take at least one international holiday. In reality however, international travel is much lower this year with 50 per cent respondents who will actually take to foreign land. Domestic holidays taken this year matched traveller estimates at the beginning of 2012 and stayed stable compared to 2011 as well. However, 80 per cent respondents claimed that they will take same or more holidays in 2013 compared to this year of which 41 per cent think their leisure holidays will increase.
