Online travel reading influenced 47% Indians’ vacation destinations

MUMBAI: Forty-seven per cent Indians were inspired by online travel articles before deciding their vacation destinations, found a survey of more than 8,000 people

MUMBAI: Forty-seven per cent Indians were inspired by online travel articles before deciding their vacation destinations, found a survey of more than 8,000 people from across 10 countries in the the Asia Pacific region. The Skyscanner survey findings are in contrast to traditional family holiday patterns, where travel is largely influenced by word of mouth or discounted deals.

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Almost one in four Indian respondents was influenced by online Top 10 lists, travellers’ reviews (20%), city guides (20%), photo galleries (18%) and travel feature articles (18%), the survey found.

While 30% respondents said they found tips and hacks from online travel-related reads, 15% said it helped them get good deals on flights and hotels. Travel hacking is an emerging art, in which people collect frequent flier miles and redeem them to fly for free.

“The survey seeks to uncover insights into traveller preferences and habits, from their content consumption patterns to their travel must-dos. Armed with insights from this survey, we can better understand the inspiration behind planning international holidays, which Indians are most keen on,” said Reshmi Roy, growth manager (India), Skyscanner.

The survey findings said that people took the time to read such articles throughout the day. Almost 40% said they invested time into reading such articles at work, followed by 27%, who read before going to bed and 15% who read during commute.

Another surprising finding was that 45% respondents said they picked itineraries high on adventure, followed by one-third saying they look for local experiences in a foreign destination. However, shopping as a reason for travel only accounted for 1% of the votes. Sightseeing, museum visits, food trails and concerts collectively accounted for the rest, the survey said. A majority of Indian tourists sought hefty bargains (21%) and made last-minute holiday plans on the go (22%).

Australians (24%), Kiwis (26%), Filipinos (24%) and Koreans (39%) were also high on seeking bargains, added the study.