73 per cent of Indian travellers opt to stay in same property again because of host

When it comes to booking accommodation, 73 per cent of Indian travellers would opt to stay in the same property again primarily because of the host, according to a survey.

An equal amount of respondents believed that their stay was improved by the person managing their accommodation going above and beyond, according to a survey by Booking.com.

The survey independently conducted online between December 14, 2018 and 14 January 2019 among 21,500 respondents, including 1,000 each from India, Australia, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, China, Brazil, United States (US), United Kingdom (UK), Russia, Indonesia, Colombia and South Korea.

It was also done among groups of 500 people - each from from Japan, New Zealand, Thailand, Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Hong Kong, Croatia, Taiwan, Mexico, Netherlands, Sweden, Singapore and Israel.

“The core of this research indicates that the more each traveller’s needs are understood and met, from the moment they search, book and check-in, the better and more memorable the experience they are likely to have,” said Ritu Mehrotra, Country Manager - India, Sri Lanka and Maldives, Booking.com.

The research also found that while some travellers are happy with a simple warm welcome, others have ‘great expectations’ when it comes to what they want from hosts when travelling.

For most, the main advantage is feeling ‘at home’ with 80 per cent of Indian trevellers stating that this is important, while for 79 per cent the main perk is the ability to take advantage of ‘insider’ knowledge by staying in an accommodation owned by a native to that area.

What’s more, the survey revealed that nearly half (49 per cent) look to this insider know-how as a bottom line for their vacation budget too, hoping for tips to help them save money by avoiding tourist pitfalls.

However, 28 per cent felt that they only need to see their host once during their stay to feel welcomed and almost a third (26 per cent) only expect to be contacted once at check-in and once at check-out.

Furthermore, 82 per cent believed that hosts should intuitively know the right amount of time to spend with their guests, it added.

But as hospitality can mean different things in different countries, 84 per cent people in India, 80 per cent in Colombia and 80 per cent in Brazil feel that ensuring guests are well fed is key, compared to the global average of 69 per cent, it said.

Whereas the Thai (74 per cent) and Chinese (60 per cent) find it important to keep their guests well entertained compared to the global average of 46 per cent.

About 79 per cent of Italian hosts it’s all about adding small touches that create a welcoming atmosphere, such as arranging a crackling fire or a candle-lit room compared to the global average of 68 per cent, it added.

COMMENT NOW