89% Indians Ready To Travel As India Began Its Vaccination Roll out Drive

A new online survey has found that 89 percent of Indians are ready to travel to their favorite domestic destinations with more confidence and excitement, as India began its vaccination rollout drive.

Most respondents emphasized preferring high-level health and safety standards at tourism spots, hotels, and resorts before selecting their favorite travel destination and properties for staycations, highlighted the survey.

Conducted by Noor Mahal, the survey also witnessed a hike in demand for domestic over foreign destinations. The survey was conducted among a sample of adults who traveled for business or leisure in the past six months and must be planning to travel in 2021.

According to the New Informed World Traveller survey, which polled more than 3,000 adults, one in three is looking forward to traveling with family and friends as compared to solo travel. Decoding the deciding elements behind selecting a preferred hotel destination, respondents voted for high-level health and safety standards, sustainability, responsible tourism, and authenticity and value for money as key factors.

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Roop Pratap Choudhary, Managing Director of Noor Mahal, an award-winning luxurious Palace Hotel Brand, said, "People are now preferring staycations over long holidays and short distance tours over long journeys. Travelers of the new informed world are keen to take smaller journeys and discovering wonderful experiences closer to home especially with the positive and safe environment created with the news of the Covid-19 vaccination rollout. Be it bag packers, corporate groups, families, or friends, people are preferring to drive down to their nearby getaways for short and relaxed staycations. In our recent survey, surprisingly 59 percent of respondents preferred short driveable holidays over long distant holidays."

As many as 69 percent of respondents mentioned sustainability as one of their top priorities before hitting any domestic travel destination. About 49 percent of respondents gave special attention to offbeat destinations so as to avoid the travel rush to popular destinations. While 32 percent were in favor of community support to help local tourism recover amid the pandemic. A highly trained staff on hygiene and safety protocols, more personalized experiences, and automation for comfort topped the survey chart of service standard expectations from hotels and resorts. (IANS/JC)