Most Indians looking to revisit familiar tourist destinations in 2021: Survey

According to the survey, Srinagar, Digha, Manali, Goa and Alibag are some of the top trending Indian destinations for locals travelling between February 1 and February 28.

Most Indian travellers intend to holiday at a location they have previously visited due to its familiarity, shows research findings by a prominent travel and hotel booking website.

The pull of familiar locations is greater than new tourism destinations for Indian travellers, according to a survey.

The future of travel research findings by Booking.com indicate that 57% of the 20,934 surveyed Indian travellers from the portal’s database prefer to return to a place they have already explored, while 49% are aiming to head to a new destination within India. The survey also reveals that 52% of Indian travellers plan to travel within their own country in the next 7 to 12 months.

“While it will be some time before travel returns to pre-pandemic levels, all signs point to the fundamental and enduring role that travel plays in all our lives. Looking ahead, staying closer to home and becoming familiarists (sic) rather than tourists will continue to be at the forefront of travel agendas. Rediscovering India and travelling like a local is what 2021 is going to be about," said Ritu Mehrotra, regional manager, South Asia at Booking.com.

According to the survey, Srinagar, Digha, Manali, Goa and Alibag are some of the top trending Indian destinations for locals travelling from February 1 to February 28, with a surge in staycations to nearby destinations compared to the previous year.

The survey also found that 25% of Indian travellers also intend to travel to foreign destinations by the end this year as against 12% by the end of 2020.