Published on: April 23, 2024
SURGE IN DOMESTIC PILGRIMAGE TOURISM
SURGE IN DOMESTIC PILGRIMAGE TOURISM
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