Jaipur, Goa most booked leisure destinations among Indians: Report

Jaipur and Goa have emerged as the top booked leisure destinations as several states have eased COVID-19 related restrictions for travellers to boost the tourism and hospitality sector, as per a report.

In India, Goa, Jaipur, followed by the hill stations of Manali, Ooty, and Mysore are top-ranked leisure destinations among travellers. According to OYO's consumer survey, 37 percent of travellers have a preference for mountains, 33 percent for beaches in India.

The remaining 14 percent prefer visiting motorable places (or road trips), followed by heritage cities and pilgrimages. In India, vaccinated staff and sanitisation protocols at properties are the top two factors that consumers keep in mind before deciding their next travel destination and accommodation.

Unlocking Travel Report 2021 is based on actual bookings on the Oyo platform during August-September 2021 and advance bookings from October 2021-January 2022, across different geographies.

According to the report, most Indians are preferring long weekends for leisure destinations, as there was a spike in bookings during Janmashtami and Ganesh Chaturthi.

For the upcoming long weekends of Dussehra and Guru Nanak Jayanti, the OYO data shows that travellers are opting for holidays across India's leisure destinations — with Jaipur topping the list, followed by the beautiful beaches of Goa, it added.

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Meanwhile, the report also revealed that in the UK, there is a high preference for travel on short weekend breaks, followed by school holidays and business trips.

In the UK, OYO's booking trends for September reveal that the British are heading to London, followed by Bath, a well-being destination, mainly known for its beautiful ancient Roman Baths, it stated.

As per advance booking trends in the UK, Christmas, New Year, Black Friday, and Boxing Day are the most sought-after long weekends for travel, it added.

Meanwhile, in the US, big cities and coastlines dominate travel preferences for Americans as travel opens up across the country, the report said.

Americans are heading to New York, Hawaii (three islands), Las Vegas, Orlando, and Key West, indicating that travellers have a strong preference for lively nightlife, amusement parks, entertainment hotspots and beaches, according to the report.

Based on OYO's advance booking data between October and December 2021, Americans are looking forward to travelling on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Eve long weekends.

The report further stated that between August-September 2021, Europe saw strong signs of travel bounce back led by summer travel demand.

It has been observed that a majority of bookings are last-minute (that is within 15 days of arrival) across Europe, indicating the shift in consumer mindset, wherein consumers plan their travel closer to the date, largely depending on the factors surrounding the pandemic.

Across Europe, the Baltic Sea Region in Germany, a popular vacation spot (also referred to as the German Riviera), was the most booked destination over the summer season.

When it comes to Southeast Asia, with lockdowns partly relaxing in Indonesia, there's a jump in small and medium enterprise (SME) and essential travel across business cities such as Jakarta, Bandung, among others, it noted.

OYO has a presence in over 35 countries, including India, the US, and the UK.