While working from home has its perks, over 68 per cent of Indian travellers have already considered booking somewhere to stay for a change of scenery. (Source: Pixabay)Ever since the pandemic started, most working professional in India turned to work-from-home to meet their deadlines. While initially it required some effort to acclimatize to the situation, now many people have grown so accustomed, they are reluctant to get back to offices, especially since the risk of infection is still there. A new survey by Booking.com — a digital travel company — has now revealed that 63 per cent of Indian travellers are willing to quarantine in destinations, as long as they can work remotely.
Indian travellers are second after Thailand, where 69 per cent of office goers felt the same. Travel platforms and places will prioritize showcasing home-office necessities and Wi-Fi speed, in an attempt to attract this new wave of digital nomads. Likewise, the world of corporate travel will see increasing demand for privacy, cleanliness and longer stays among those travelling for business, requiring alternative accommodations to up their ‘work-friendly’ game, the survey mentioned.
Work and play
Now that people have the freedom to work from wherever they want, 2021 could witness a significant rise in travellers looking to take longer trips that combine work and leisure. As many as 63 per cent of Indian travellers said they would take the opportunity to extend any business trip so they can pack some leisure time as well. Many are also likely to add a week or two to their holiday in order to work remotely.
Accommodation must-haves
While working from home has its perks, over 68 per cent of Indian travellers have already considered booking somewhere to stay for a change of scenery. This is much higher than the global average of 37 per cent. These travellers are mostly looking for accommodations which have home-office facilities, Wi-Fi and, most importantly, a spectacular view or a cosy space to help make work days easy.
“Remote working is becoming a long-term reality, as health and safety is a top priority in the current environment. To break the monotony of working from home, travellers want to escape to a destination where they can easily blend leisure with business. In response to this trend, Booking.com has introduced a work-friendly programme which offers work-friendly alternative accommodations like homes and apartments for both business and leisure travellers looking to work remotely. In order to make it easier for travellers looking to extend their holiday and find what they are looking for, Booking.com has also updated its search experience, including filters for customers looking for private, whole home accommodations. We are also committed to providing flexibility around cancellation policies for travellers, to cater to their travel demands amid uncertainty,” Ritu Mehrotra, Country Manager, India, Sri Lanka and Maldives at Booking.com, said.
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