New Delhi, March 29 (Bureau) Most Indians plan to spend on travel and holidays as much as they spent before the pandemic and shop at desi outlets to support the local economy, said a recently released report. A report titled ‘Global Travel Trends’ by American Express Travel released on Tuesday said that in the current year, about 93 per cent of Indians plan to spend more or the same on travel compared to a typical pre-pandemic year while 96 per cent would like to eat and shop at local businesses to support local economy.
The report, based on data from 7 countries including the United States, Australia, India, Canada, Mexico, Japan, and the United Kingdom, said Indians think 2022 will be a better year for planning travel with most of the respondents saying that travel will be less stressful this year than in 2021 and many are looking forward to regaining control over their trips in 2022 after feeling overwhelmed last year. The motivation to travel for 48 per cent Indians was for having new experiences, 46 per cent for relaxing and 45 per cent for exploring new destinations, it said. The report also showed that like others, Indians are also traveling to see the people and places they love, celebrate important life events, embark on wish list trips, experience in-person events, and seek greater wellness and self-care. Highest amongst all the other surveyed countries, 91 per cent surveyed Indians agree they will book a dream vacation in 2022 which they normally would not have considered before the pandemic while 87 per cent want to book a once-in-a-lifetime vacation in 2022.
Manoj Adlakha, SVP and CEO, American Express Banking Corp, India, said, “After two tough years, the travel sentiment amongst Indian travellers is upbeat where spending time with loved ones is a top priority. Our travel trends report shares that to make the most of the lost time, 94 per cent of respondents agree they plan to travel more with family in 2022 than they did in 2021 while 89 per cent shared that they are more interested in multi-generational family trips than ever before.” “With the resumption of all regular international flights and the upcoming summer holiday season, we are seeing a surge in travel bookings amongst our Card members for both international and domestic travel. To make new memories, Indians are mostly booking vacations with their families and preferring experiences that support the local communities’ revival from the impact of the pandemic,” he said.