NEWS – A report by the online travel platform – MakeMyTrip has highlighted Surge in Domestic Pilgrimage Tourism

HIGHLIGHTS

• Surge:
  • MakeMyTrip’s report highlights a significant increase of 97% in searches for religious sites by domestic tourists over the past two years.
• Impact of Ram Mandir Inauguration:
  • In 2023, searches for Ayodhya surged by 585% after the inauguration of the Ram Mandir earlier in the year.
  • Similarly, queries for Ujjain and Badrinath saw notable increases of 359% and 343%, respectively, during the same period.
• Insights for Tourism Trends:
  • Analysis of activities from over 100 million annual active users forms the basis of MakeMyTrip’s ‘India Travel Trends Report,’ providing insights into evolving travel behaviors.

Other Noteworthy Trends:

• Holiday Frequency and Spontaneous Plans:
  • Club of travellers taking over 3 trips per year grew by 25% in 2023.
  • Rise in spontaneous travel plans, indicating a shift towards more flexible travel arrangements.
• Family-Centric Trips and Solo Travel:
  • Family travel bookings surged by 64% annually in 2023, with a significant portion opting for accommodations costing over Rs 10,000 per night.
  • Solo travel bookings also witnessed a 23% year-on-year growth.
• Payment Methods and Travel Preferences:
  • UPI emerged as the most preferred payment method, accounting for 40% of all travel bookings.
  • Credit cards were favored for high-value transactions, particularly for international bookings.
  • Weekend getaways continued to be popular, with Jim Corbett, Ooty, and Munnar among the top choices.

International Travel Insights:

• Emerging International Destinations:
  • Significant growth in searches for emerging international destinations like Hong Kong, Almaty, Paro, Baku, Da Nang, and Tbilisi.
  • Traditional favorites like Dubai, Bangkok, and Singapore remained popular, with London, Toronto, and New York attracting travelers for long-haul trips.
• Booking Patterns and Accommodations:
  • Half of all international bookings were made at least two weeks in advance, showing a trend of planned international travel.
  • Alternative accommodations recorded a 24% growth in bookings, reflecting a diverse preference