Research report by travel search engine points to sharp uptick in summer travel searches

NEW DELHI: Increasing Covid infections have not dented the appetite to travel just yet, and Indians appear to be gearing up to travel for their summer holidays, a recent travel trend report suggests.
A research in the first week of March by travel search engine Kayak found that 56% people of the over 1200 urban Indians surveyed said they intend to travel for leisure this summer, a number that aligns with the platform’s search data that shows domestic flight searches surged by 208%, and long-haul international flight searches went up by nearly 158% for travel this summer, in comparison to 2022.
Hotel searches coincided with the hunt for deals on flight fares. Within India, hotel searches went up by 39%, while the search for international hotels went up by 59 as compared to 2022.

Here’s what will perk up the aspiring traveller: Despite the increased interest in summer travel, the Kayak survey suggests that hotel prices decreased by around 32% for domestic hotels, while hotels in Asia are available at about 43% lower rates as compared to last year.
The spike in travel plans also comes with a yearning for the good old family holiday. KAYAK’s search data shows an uptick in family and group travel for the summer season, with family flight searches increasing by about 230% compared to 2022, and 81% of those planning a trip this summer saying they’ll travel with their families.
“With the significant increase in flight and hotel searches, Indians are in for a summer of family travel, meaningful experiences and return to simpler times as we emerge from the pandemic. Nostalgia travel is a trend gaining momentum as people revisit special places or explore destinations evoking a sense of the past,” said Tarun Tahiliani, India Country Manager, KAYAK.
The KAYAK consumer research also points to a significant majority of Indian summer holiday makers planning to spend more or a similar amount on their summer travel this year when compared to the year before. As a result, higher flight prices are not seen as a deterrent to travel.
According to Kayak, the average cost of a return economy domestic flight during the summer travel season is Rs 13,188, and about Rs 93,482 for a return economy long-haul international flight.
Summer travel trends point to Toronto as the top searched destination, followed by Dubai, London, and New York. Within Asia, Indian travellers are looking at destinations such as Bali, Bangkok, Singapore, and the Maldives. Domestically, Goa, Srinagar and Andaman and Nicobar Islands are among the most searched. Over 60% respondents also said showed a preference for the hills, while 51% chose seaside destinations over the mountains.