January - September 2022 showed a 62 per cent uptick in leisure tourism as compared to the same period last year, according to the booking data studied by OYO.
This growth was attributed to high consumer confidence combined with pent-up demand in travel. These insights are a comparative analysis for the same period last year when States were just about opening up their borders to tourists once again. Further, June 2022 saw the highest uptick in demand compared to the same period last year.
Destinations topping the list
The data analysis further found that Jaipur and Goa have consistently topped as India’s favourite leisure destinations. However, Kochi, Varanasi, and Vishakhapatnam have also emerged as top ranked destinations among Indian travellers. Heritage cities followed by beach destinations were preferred by torurists in India. When it comes to business travel, Delhi, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Kolkata, and Chennai occupied the top spots in the first two quarters of 2022.
Through a data-backed predictive analysis of current booking trends, OYO forecasts that among metropolitan cities, Delhi, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Kolkata, and Chennai will witness the highest travel demand during the upcoming peak travel months. Among leisure destinations, Jaipur, Goa, Nagpur, Dehradun, and Varanasi are set to benefit from the festive holiday travel demand.
As per an analysis of the top 100 destinations, with nearly 25 per cent, a majority of hill stations are predicted to be the most preferred destinations between October - December 2022, whereas, 20 per cent are heritage cities and nearly 10 per cent are beach destinations. Prayagraj, Raipur, Puri, Nashik, and Bareilly also cropped up on the list, signalling the Indian travellers’ inclination to explore less explored domestic destinations.
Change in travel habit
Commenting on the changing travel scenario, Shreerang Godbole, Chief Service Officer & SVP - Product, OYO said, “There’s a major shift in travel habits and sentiments. Unplanned vacations, shorter stays, exploring nearby and offbeat destinations are all very relevant trends today. Flexibility tops the list. Providing consumers access at their disposal, the choice to make travel decisions on their own terms, convenience, and personalisation are all elements to being the consumers’ travel partner today. We, at OYO, have worked hard to understand the new age consumer and their travel habits and have therefore rolled out several app level features to benefit their travel plans, even if it’s at the very last minute.”
Globally, across Europe, Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium, Austria, and France are some of the most sought-after destinations.