ENARADA, Bangalore, August 20, 2013:
While the depreciating rupee may have hurt the sentiments of the market overall, it has not been able to dampen the spirits of the Indian traveller.
As per a survey released by Yatra.com, Indians are still eager to travel, with about 63 per cent of respondents positive towards pursuing their holiday plans.
While 86 per cent of the respondents confirmed that the depreciating rupee will impact the average Indian’s lifestyle, about 62 per cent respondents are optimistic that the entry of international flight operators into the country will result in international and domestic travel becoming cheaper.
When asked whether they would wait for the rupee to rise and then go on holiday, 43 per cent said no, while 38 per cent said that they would like to wait till the rupee stabilises. The balance 19 per cent said that it does not matter and that they would go on holiday anyway.
The survey also revealed that, South East Asian countries are the destination of choice, followed by Europe, the United States and then the United Kingdom, in that order.
43 per cent of the respondents would like to travel within India, while 45 per cent said that the location would depend on the expenses involved. A full 12 per cent said that it doesn’t matter, showing that there is a significant segment of well-heeled travellers for whom costs do not really matter.
Sharat Dhall, President, Yatra.com, commented, “We have been periodically mapping travel trends amongst our base of travellers to get a sense of their mood, and this latest survey seems to suggest that the market is still upbeat on holiday travel despite the depreciation in the rupee. Travellers are very confident that the currency depreciation will be offset by attractive discounts offered by hotels and flight operators, thus allowing them to travel without incurring a big increase in spends.”
42 per cent respondents prefer travelling with the family, followed by travelling with their spouse, and then, with friends. The good news for hoteliers is that there are 45% respondents who prefer to stay in 3 to 5 star hotels, while an equal number choose to stay in budget accommodations. The typical budget ranged between Rs 20,000 to 50,000 per person.
Interestingly, when asked which activity travellers would not like to compromise on, 37 per cent said they would not compromise on sightseeing, followed by shopping and then food.
The survey was conducted among 6,000 individuals out of which 84 per cent were either professionals or self-employed. Additionally, 49 per cent of them ranged between 25 to 45 years while 34 per cent were above 45 years old.
