Monsoon Travel Trends

Mumbai, 21^st November 2018: As we enter the fourth quarter of the year, Booking.com, the global leader in connecting travelers with the widest choice of incredible places to stay, takes a look back at the top booked destinations by Indian travellers during the monsoon period of July to September 2018.

Southeast Asia and Europe have proven to be big draw cards with Dubai, Bangkok and Singapore being the top three of the most popular international destinations by Indian travellers, followed by last quarter’s toppers London and Paris. On the domestic front, most Indian travellers celebrated the rains in New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai & Hyderabad - the top booked domestic destinations for the quarter. Furthermore, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Delhi (NCR region), Karnataka and Kerala are the most popular states booked by Indians this monsoon.

The fastest growing Y-O-Y* destinations booked by Indian travellers are:

1. International destinations: Saint Petersburg, Moscow, Doha, Istanbul, Ubud, Tokyo, Abu Dhabi, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Ho Chi Minh City.
2. Domestic destinations: Gokarna, Gangtok, Vagator, Srinagar, and Vellore.

*Comparing the bookings made by Indian travellers during the monsoon of 2017 and 2018 (i.e. July-September of both years). Destinations had to be booked at least 1000 times in 2018 to be included.

The research also revealed that there was a significant increase in Indians travelling abroad in the third quarter of July-September 2018, when compared to Q3 last year.

According to Ritu Mehrotra, Country Manager India, Booking.com, “Travel behavior and choices among Indians are evolving at a rapid pace. We see travel trends fluctuate almost every quarter, as consumers get bolder with their choice of destination and open up to newer experiences. India as a young market is becoming increasingly tech savy, we now see more travellers from across urban and rural regions alike booking national and international vacations online.”

Top 5 destinations for Indian travellers: