This isn’t any ordinary summer. It’s the first one since pandemic-led travel restrictions have been lifted completely across most parts of the country. This means travel aspirations are at an all-time high this summer. Tracking consumer travel sentiment across India, global travel technology company, OYO, has published a Mid-Summer Vacation Index 2022. As per the report, over 61% of Indian travellers plan to take vacations this summer, out of which a whopping 94% showed a strong preference to travel domestically. This shows that despite the opening of international air travel, exploring local destinations is here to stay in 2022.
Interestingly, every 1 in 2 Indian travellers plan to head out on their first trip since the 2020 lockdown this summer. This is a strong indicator of the bounce back in travel confidence across India, mainly due to mass vaccination drives, combined with the receding pandemic severity.
With about 65% votes a majority of travellers are keen on leisure trips, for a much-needed break from the routine. In December 2021, as travel opened domestically, most respondents had preferred travelling mostly to meet their family & friends after a long time due to the pandemic. While there are certain trend shifts, short trips continue to be the top choice among travellers. Nearly 55% of respondents still prefer shorter trips of about 1-3 days. As per OYO’s survey, over 50% Indians opted to travel with friends, while 26.5% said they would love to spend their vacation with family. 13% of respondents also wished to go solo this summer.
Where is India heading this summer?
The Hills Vs The Beaches
While some love to spend their summer amid quaint hillside towns, many also love spending this season soaking in the sun alongside white sandy beaches. As per OYO’s consumer survey, with 1/4th of the votes, hill stations emerged as the clear winner. However, that’s not it. Nearly 22% said they would love the best of both worlds – with a mix of hill stations and beaches. This was followed by preferences for seaside towns, staycations, adventure sports destinations, riverside stays, among others. When it comes to the hills, over 1/3rd of Indians opted for Manali as their cooling destination of choice, followed by approx. 20% who wish to visit Kashmir this summer. Sikkim, Ooty and McLeodganj were also popular choices among vacationers. Among beach lovers, 58% said that hands down Goa is their dream beach destination in India. This was closely followed by the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, and Kerala with 12% and 11% respectively
