Airbnb data showed that Indians are planning their international trips with renewed vigor as travel has picked up steam again after two years of the Covid pandemic. While interest in previously beloved destinations is still high, they are also expanding their travel horizons and seeking new getaways abroad.
From the third quarter of calendar year 2021 to the third quarter of the current calendar year, the company observed a surprising increase of more than 1,250% in searches for holidays in Turkey, a 750% increase in searches in Norway and a 625%% increase in searches for Portugal. Other popular international travel destinations include South Africa (searches increased by 600%), Poland, Finland, Greece and South Korea (over 450%).
With London, Dubai, Paris, Toronto and New York topping Indian searches for foreign cities in Q3 2022, new data from Airbnb has shown that long-haul favorites like the US, UK and cities across Europe feature prominently in customer searches.
In their own country, Indians go to well-known resorts, the hills of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, as well as to the northeastern region. Compared to the third quarter of 2019, the total number of nights booked in India increased by almost 50%, while domestic nights booked increased by almost 80%.
Amanpreet Bajaj, Airbnb’s Managing Director for India, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan, said, “As travel resumes around the world, Airbnb is seeing renewed interest among travelers Indians to venture abroad and explore local destinations. This growing appetite for travel is a positive sign as the recovery in tourism gathers pace.”
Swimming pools, Wi-Fi, kitchens, air conditioning and washing machines are the top five amenities Indian tourists look for when traveling. These amenities support flexible and modern lifestyles and travel (researched Q3 2022 for record dates December 18, 2022 through January 2, 2023).
Visitors will continue to travel to remote and nearby locations this winter in search of sun, sand and water. This winter, Indians have mostly booked rooms in the Tropical, National Park, Pool, Beach and Iconic Cities categories.
Indians like to reconnect with national destinations for shorter getaways. Comparing Q3 2022 to Q3 2019 before the pandemic, the total number of nights booked in India increased by almost 50%, while domestic nights booked increased by almost 80%.
The Northeast has established itself as a popular travel destination. According to Airbnb search data, between the third quarter of 2021 and the third quarter of 2022, searches for accommodations in Meghalaya, Assam and Nagaland increased by more than 450%, by more than 400% and by almost by 300%, respectively.
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