Indians to spend more on travel: Report

Indians think 2022 will be a better year for travel, with most respondents saying travel will be less stressful this year than in 2021. About 91% Indians, the highest among all surveyed countries, said they plan to book a dream vacation in 2022 which they normally would not have considered before the pandemic while 87% want to book a once-in-a-lifetime vacation in 2022.

The survey report, based on data from seven countries–United States, Australia, India, Canada, Mexico, Japan, and the United Kingdom–revealed that discovering new experiences motivates 48% Indians to travel, while 46% are looking to relax, and 45% are want to explore new destinations.

Impact and purpose driven travel on the mind of Indian travellers: The majority agreed they want to have a positive impact on the community they are visiting and want to travel to destinations where they can immerse themselves in the local culture. Travelling responsibly is of high importance for the respondents, with 94% saying they would take a ‘greencation’ and 93% more likely to book travel with a brand that is committed to improving its environmental impact, ranking highest than their global counterparts.

Dream destinations are becoming a reality: About 69% of respondents said they want to travel to their dream destination in 2022. Five in 10 said they were willing to travel solo to their dream destination. Asia is the top choice for Indians to explore in 2022, and exploring different cities within India wasthe preferred choice of 51% respondents.

Multiple activities, in-person events, and luxury drive choice of vacations and destinations: 94% of respondents would prefer to visit destinations that have access to more than one scene (e.g., beach, city, mountain, desert, etc.) while 91% are interested in cultural immersion and all-inclusive luxury travel resorts than before the pandemic. 89% of consumers held off on traveling for major entertainment events last year but have plans to return to these types of events this year.

Indians are ready to travel and spend more: 92% said they were willing to book a trip for 2022 even if they cancelled or modified it later. Nearly all surveyed Indians plan on taking a trip in 2022, with nearly a fourth saying they will take two vacations, and a fifth looking at three vacations during the year. 94% of respondents plan to spend more on international travel in 2022 than they did in the previous year.

Manoj Adlakha, SVP and CEO, American Express Banking, India, said, “After two tough years, the travel sentiment among Indian travellers is upbeat where spending time with loved ones is a top priority. Our travel trends report shares that to make the most of the lost time, 94% of respondents agree they plan to travel more with family in 2022 than they did in 2021 while 89% shared that they are more interested in multi-generational family trips than ever before.”

He added that with the resumption of regular international flights and the upcoming summer holiday season, there has been a surge in travel bookings card members for both international and domestic travel. “To make new memories, Indians are mostly booking vacations with their families and preferring experiences that support the local communities’ revival from the impact of the pandemic.”