Mumbai,
25
January
2019
|
15:16
Europe/Amsterdam

‘What your NATIONALITY says about your Travel Preferences’

Everyone has their own motivation to travel. For some, it’s the adventure and adrenaline, whereas for others it is an opportunity to relax and unwind. New research study commissioned by Booking.com, the global leader in connecting travelers with the widest choice of incredible places to stay, reveals how your nationality is likely to impact your travel style.

For most nationalities, the top motivation to travel is to get some downtime. Unsurprisingly, 85% of global travelers says that “giving myself time to relax” is an important motivation to travel. This makes it the top travel motivation to all nationalities with the exception of the Danish and the French, who cite “being free to act how I feel” as their top motivation to travel.

However, when comparing top travel motivations between nationalities, it is clear that travelers from different corners of the world have different preferences. Argentinians seem most easily tempted by nostalgia (73% of Argentinian travelers say they travel to “rediscover past good times”), Chinese and Taiwanese travelers attach relatively high importance to “experiencing a simpler lifestyle (respectively 83% and 76%) and Japanese, German and Hong Kong travelers are most likely traveling to “get away from the demands at home” (respectively 66%, 72% and 80%). Finally, for some travelers, travel is a question of social status: particularly Indonesian (75%), Indian (75%) and Filipino travelers (80%) say their motivation to travel is to “go to places my friends have not been”.

Ranging from some personal time to switch off to experiencing a simpler lifestyle, we list the top travel stimulants for Indians travellers in India.

Top motivations to travel for Indian travelers

A vast majority (88%) of Indians travel to give themselves time to relax. Indians also seem most tempted by nostalgia, as 80% of travelers say they travel to ‘rediscover past good times’. Furthermore, experiencing a simpler lifestyle is a travel motivation for 79% of the travellers. Followed by the need to get away from the demands at home (76%) and going to places their friends have not been (75%).

Top 5 Motivations to Travel - Global Travelers

Top 5 Motivations to Travel - Indians

Give myself time to relax

Give myself time to relax

 

Taking time to mentally unwind

Seeing as much as possible

 

Having experiences I could not have at home

Experiences I couldn't have at home

 

Seeing as much as possible

Experience new / different lifestyles

Being free to act how I feel

Finding thrills and excitement

This is how Indian travelers compare to the global top 5: When asked ‘How high would you rank "finding thrills and adventure" as a motivation to travel on a scale of 10’ 

Destination

Apart from motivation to travel, the actual destination can also vary by nationality. Most global travelers select destinations based on categories such as “personal safety” and “cleanliness”, but there are plenty of nationalities that prioritize “natural beauty” or “tasty local food”.

Top 5 factors Indian travelers take into considerations when choosing a destination

  1. Personal Safety
  2. Clean
  3. Outstanding Natural Scenery
  4. Tasty Local Food/ Cuisine
  5. Quality Beaches

Of course, travel behavior is also heavily influenced by what is easy to reach. This may be why Indian travelers make up the majority of Bhutan bookers. If you look at the countries that Indians travel to relatively often, it is clear that we know how to appreciate our neighbors:

10 of the most favored destinations for Indian travelers in 2018

  1. Bhutan
  2. India
  3. Nepal
  4. Maldives
  5. Sri Lanka
  6. Singapore
  7. United Arab Emirates
  8. Macau
  9. Thailand

Classifying it further, here is a list capturing top nationalities that visited India in 2018

  1. India
  2. United Kingdom
  3. France
  4. United States of America
  5. Germany

So as the festive season is behind us and you start looking forward to your next vacation, ask yourself this: do your travel preferences lump you with your nation’s stereotype, or do you break the mold?

Notes to the Editor

*Research commissioned by Booking.com and independently conducted among a sample of 53,492 respondents across 31 markets. The results in this article focus on Indian travelers only, which consisted of 1852 respondents. In order to participate in this survey, respondents had to be 18 years of age or older, had to have travelled at least once in the past 12 months and be either the primary decision maker or involved in the decision making of their travel. The survey was taken online and took place between October 16th and November 12th, 2018.