Reflecting a change in the behaviour of Indian travellers, a new survey by online travel portal Expedia has found that Indians now prefer to look for safety and cleanliness while searching for beach vacation destinations as opposed to just the cost.
“Flip-Flop Survey 2017 brings forth an interesting shift in preference of Indian travellers while choosing a vacation destination. Till about a couple of years ago, the top factor was always the overall cost and discounts, which has now been replaced by larger concerns like safety and cleanliness, further driven by great weather conditions and positive reviews from fellow travellers,” Manmeet Ahluwalia, marketing head, Expedia, in India, said.
While a safe beach is priority for 95% travellers, 93% look for clean beaches and 91% for positive reviews. About 89% see ‘cost’ as a criterion for selecting a vacation destination, the survey showed. Globally, positive reviews are the number one factor, followed by destination with plenty of activities, safety and weather.
‘Driving force’
Mr. Ahluwalia added that social media was emerging as a strong driving force in ‘creating vacation happiness’ with Indians being number one in ‘always-taking selfies’ (22%), posting photos on social media (22%), ‘checking in’ on social media (21%) and connecting with others through social media (19%).
The survey showed 24% Indians are social media-obsessed beachgoers who spend a majority of their time uploading pictures and video to social media.
While the most appealing aspects of a beach vacation for Indians are relaxation and spending time with family and friends (72%), they are most anxious about risk of theft (76%), shark attacks (73%), being stung by a jellyfish or a stingray (70%).
The survey also found that globally, Indians were most anxious about not being able to access the Net to check work-related mail (59%).