Yatra witnesses uptick in demand

The Yatra.com festive survey indicates an uptick in demand for travel as almost 75 per cent of respondents, compared to 61 per cent in 2019, said they were willing to go on a holiday during the festive season. The online travel portal has also witnessed an increase of about 36 per cent in booking inquiries as compared to initial COVID levels.

Manas Dwivedi

Leading online travel portal Yatra.com conducted its annual festive survey amongst 5,000 respondents, highlighting what travel trends look like in the new normal. The survey revealed that the trend of advance booking continues with 39.3 per cent of respondents planning leisure trips more than one month in advance to rest, relax and recuperate.

Safety and hygiene take priority while planning a holiday as travellers look at the number of cases in the vicinity, sanitisation measures adopted, government guidelines and amenities in case of an emergency among other factors. The survey revealed that about 52.5 per cent of respondents are seeking medical/travel insurance for the sake of security and more than 50 per cent of respondents said that they would prefer ordering room service rather than visiting restaurants and bars.

Taking extra safety precautions, about 72.1 per cent of respondents said that they will be going through sanitisation processes followed by monuments and tourist spots before planning a visit to them. This assurance is important as about 48.2 per cent of respondents are planning their holiday with the family. Interestingly, beating beaches as a preferred location for holiday goers, 37.9 per cent of respondents said they would like to visit the hills to escape the monotony and stress brought by the pandemic. Budget travel continues to see a spike as 35.4 per cent of respondents are keeping ` 10,000-25,000 per person as set targets for their budget during vacations.

Commenting on this survey, Sabina Chopra, Co-founder and COO, Corporate Travel & Head Industry Relations, Yatra.com, said, “Consumers are looking at stringent safety and sanitisation processes followed at every touchpoint of travel. According to our survey, travellers are being extra cautious as they are planning their trip with families. In terms of location, accommodation or mode of transportation, travellers are ready to pay extra while ensuring all safety measures are in place. We have witnessed an increase of 36 per cent in booking inquiries compared to initial COVID levels, which we expect to increase gradually as we move deeper in the festive season.”