TripAdvisor Reveals the Outbound Travel Trends for 2014

• Where and How Indians plan their travel abroad

• Data tabulated for the first six months of 2014 basis traffic generated on the site

1.       Dubai emerges #1 destination for Indians in 2014 as well as 2013

2.       United States of America emerges the favourite country in 2014

3.       China is the #1 Emerging Country for 2014

4.       Almost 50% of Indians prefer rooms in the price bracket of up to Rs. 5000

5.       Almost 30% of Indians prefer other accommodation options such as B&B, vacation rentals etc. rather than hotels

6.       ‘Outdoors’ is the top choice in ‘Attractions’ category for outbound Indians

7.       Ambergris Caye, Belize is the #1 Emerging Destination for 2014 followed by Lankanfushi, Maldives at #2

8.       Indian food remains the favourite for away from home Indians

9.       For Delhiites, Dubai is the favourite destination and Thailand the most preferred country 

According to a recent study¹ by TripAdvisor^™, the world’s largest travel site*, the number of Indians planning to travel abroad in 2014 has gone up by 21 percent compared to last year and this clearly reflects in the Outbound Travel Trends that were revealed today. The findings are based on the website traffic² during the period January 1 to June 30, 2014.

The results show that Indians prefer travelling closer home with Asian cities dominating the ‘Top 20 Destinations’ and Asia being the ‘Top Continent’. US takes number 1 spot in the ‘Top Countries’ category. The data reveals interesting findings in the ‘Emerging Destinations’ and ‘Emerging Countries’ categories with Ambergris Caye, Belize topping the list in the former category and China leading in the latter respectively.

“From destination preferences to cuisine choices to what Indian travellers like to do while on holiday, the TripAdvisor Outbound travel lookback for the first half of 2014 reveals a lot about the way we travel. With interest in destinations such as Belize, Brazil, Tokyo and Bhutan growing at a rapid pace, and alternate forms of accommodation such as vacation rentals and B&B’s being used while on a foreign vacation, Indian travellers definitely seem to be coming of age” says Nikhil Ganju, Country Manager, TripAdvisor India.

Looking at the accommodation space, it seems Indians are moving away from being traditional holiday goers with respect to lodging preferences. The global statistics show that almost 30% favour options such as bed&breakfast, vacation rentals etc. vs hotels (70%). This trend is further reflected in the global room rates data with almost 50% outbound Indians opting for rooms up to INR 5000.

When it comes to recreational activities at the holiday destination, global numbers indicate that majority of Indian travellers prefer outdoor things to do. Almost 30% look at ‘outdoor’ activities followed by ‘cultural’ activities at nearly 25%. Examining country specific data - ‘outdoor’ emerges number 1 in the ‘Top Attractions’ category in US and Thailand as well however, in the UK it is ‘sightseeing’ that takes the top spot (14.68%) followed closely by ‘cultural’ (14.16%) and then ‘outdoor’ (12.96%).

TOP - DESTINATIONS / COUNTRIES / CONTINENTS

• Top Destinations:

  • Dubai retains its number 1 position second time in a row

  • Biggest mover in 2014 is Bali which notched up 11 places to secure 5^th spot in 2014 from 16^th last year

  • Biggest loss of tourists’ interest is seen by Phuket which fell to #17 this year from #13 last year

  • Destinations from Asia dominate the list

Fig 1. Top Destinations in H1 FY 2014 vs H1 FY 2013

• Top Countries

  • While US emerges the favourite country for outbound Indians, majority of the list is dominated by Asian countries

Fig 2. Top Countries in H1 FY 2014

• Top Continent

• Asia scores an impressive 47% leaving behind the number 2 Europe with a notable margin

Fig 3. Top Continents in H1FY 2014

Fig 4. Top 10 Destinations for New Delhi in H1 FY 2014