Family travel bookings to increase 65% by 2023: MMT India Travel Trends Report

Based on insights from travel searches by more than 100 million active users annually, MakeMyTrip has compiled some of the top behaviors of Indian travelers in the first edition of its India Travel Trends Report. Insights include where, when and how India travels, top trends from millions of trips – from both a national and regional perspective.

Rajesh Magow, Co-Founder and Group CEO of MakeMyTrip, said, “Understanding the evolving travel behavior of Indian travelers is essential to shaping the future of tourism, both domestically and globally. MakeMyTrip’s India Travel Trends Report highlights some of the latest essential trends. As India emerges as a formidable force in the tourism sector, these insights can help bridge the supply and demand gaps in the travel and hospitality sector. This means establishing policies, identifying destinations and creating experiences that resonate with travelers’ unique travel preferences and aspirations. Recognizing and catering to the diverse behavior of each traveler will not only enhance the travel experience but also contribute significantly to the growth and development of the tourism industry.”

Some key insights from the report are below:

WHERE INDIA TRAVELS
• The number of people making more than 3 trips per year will have grown by 25% in 2023 compared to 2019.
• Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities are embracing spiritual travel, with searches for destinations with or around religious sites increasing 97% in the past two years.
• Searches for Ayodhya grew by 585%, Ujjain by 359% and Badrinath by 343% in 2023 compared to 2022.
• Weekend getaway continues to resonate with Indian travelers – Searches for Jim Corbett are up 131% in 2023 compared to 2022; Ooty and Munnar are other favorites in this context.
• 30% of all international travel searches from India are for Dubai, Bangkok and Singapore, while London, Toronto and New York are the most searched long-haul destinations.
• Searches for emerging international destinations will multiply in 2023 – popular favorites include Hong Kong, Almaty, Paro, Baku, Da Nang and Tbilisi.

WHEN, WITH WHOM AND HOW TO TRAVEL INDIA
• Family versus solo – Family travel bookings increased 64% in 2023 compared to 2022, followed by 23% growth in bookings from solo travelers over the same comparative period.
• Flight booking preferences –
o 50% of all domestic flyers choose flights between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m., regardless of their destination or origin.
o A significant portion of travel bookings in India are made spontaneously, with 46% of domestic flights booked less than a week before the travel date. In contrast, about half of all international bookings are made at least two weeks in advance.
o Only a third of international bookings are made more than a month before the travel date, indicating a flexible approach to international travel planning among Indian travelers.
o Women prefer to book window seats, while men choose aisle seats.
o Tomato Cucumber Cheese Lettuce Sandwich is the most ordered meal on domestic flights.

• Accommodation booking preferences –
o 56% of domestic holiday hotel bookings on the platform are made less than a week before the day of travel.
o 33% of international hotel bookings are made at least 30 days before the travel date.
o Alternative accommodations on the platform recorded a 24% growth in bookings in 2023
o For hostels and apartments, accommodation is preferred at less than INR 2,500 per night, but for villas it is higher.
o Nearly 20% of family travelers looked for accommodations with rates above INR 10,000 per night.

• Payment preference – UPI is the most preferred payment method for travel booking, accounting for almost 40% of all transaction types, followed by the use of credit cards. Credit card is the most commonly used payment method for high-value transactions such as booking international hotels and flights. This can be attributed to the benefits associated with credit card payments.

• The gift of travel – Wedding gift vouchers worth INR 5000 and 10000 are the most gifted. 1 in 2 travel gift cards purchased are donated as wedding shaguns.

DELHI-SPECIFIC INSIGHTS AT A GLANCE

– Rishikesh and Amritsar are some of the most sought after destinations
– Travelers prefer flights between 12:00 and 18:00
– Travelers are over-indexed when booking domestic flights less than a week before the travel date
– Travelers show a higher intention to pre-book meals while traveling internationally
– Northern states have a greater preference for hostels
– Almost half of all domestic travelers book a room with breakfast and an extensive meal

MUMBAI-SPECIFIC INSIGHTS AT A GLANCE

– Goa, Pune, are some of the most searched destinations
– Travelers prefer flights between 12:00 and 18:00
– Travelers show a higher intention to pre-book meals while traveling internationally
– Maharashtra has the highest share of domestic hotel searches overall – highest preference for villas
– More than half of domestic hotel bookers book a room with breakfast; internationally they prefer rooms only

KOLKATA – SPECIFIC INSIGHTS AT A GLANCE

– Digha, Mandarmani are some of the most searched destinations
– Travelers are more likely to book flights more than three months in advance, for both international and domestic flights
– Travelers have a greater preference for booking meals on board for domestic flights
– Eastern states have a greater preference for hotels
– About half of travelers prefer rooms only for domestic hotel bookings
– 60% of international hotel bookers prefer a room with breakfast

CHENNAI-SPECIFIC INSIGHTS AT A GLANCE

– Madurai, Pondicherry are some of the most searched destinations
– Travelers prefer flights between 6:00 PM and 12:00 AM
– Travelers are over-indexed when it comes to booking international flights 30 days in advance
– Travelers most actively select seats for domestic and international flights
– Travelers have a greater preference for booking meals on board for domestic flights
– Southern states have a greater preference for alternative accommodations
– Maximum preference for room only bookings for international hotels

BANGALORE-SPECIFIC INSIGHTS AT A GLANCE

– Mysore, Coorg, Mangalore are some of the most searched destinations
– Travelers prefer flights between 12:00 noon and 6:00 am
– Travelers most actively select seats for international flights
– Travelers have a greater preference for booking meals on board for domestic flights
– Bangalore has a greater preference for villas during domestic travel

HYDERABAD SPECIFIC INSIGHTS AT A GLANCE

– Vishakhapatnam, Tirupati are some of the most searched destinations
– Travelers prefer flights between 6 a.m. and 3 p.m
– Travelers are over-indexed when booking domestic flights in less than a week and international flights 30 days before the travel date
– Travelers most actively select seats for domestic flights
– Southern states have a greater preference for alternative accommodations
– About half of domestic travelers prefer room only