Thomas Cook India and its group company, SOTC Travel, have reported a significant surge in domestic travel demand, surpassing their full-year 2023 domestic travel numbers within the first six months of 2024.
The latest insights in the travel industry have unveiled some key trends that shed light on the preferences and behaviors of modern-day travellers. Among the top destinations in demand, Kashmir takes the lead with 30 per cent, closely followed by the North East at 26 per cent, Andaman at 22 per cent, and Kerala and Goa both at 20 per cent.
Interestingly, summer travel has seen a surge in demand, up by 30 per cent from the previous year, attributed to an extended booking season due to elections. Moreover, there has been a 25 per cent increase in average spending and a notable growth in longer stays, especially for 15 days.
Travelers are now leaning towards higher category accommodations and in-hotel experiences like spa, wellness, and dining. This shift towards experience-led travel is evident with a rising interest in outdoor activities, soft adventures, biking trips, safari holidays, and culinary trails.
Spiritual tourism is also on the rise, with a remarkable 45 per cent growth compared to pre-pandemic levels, attracting a younger demographic including working professionals, millennials, and Gen Z. Popular summer destinations like Leh-Ladakh, Gangtok, Darjeeling, Munnar, Ooty, Coorg, and perennial favorite Kashmir continue to allure travelers. Additionally, emerging locales such as North East India’s Seven Sisters, Spiti Valley in Himachal Pradesh, and Kargil in Ladakh are gaining traction among adventurers.
According to Thailand’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports, India is the fifth largest inbound market for Thailand. This growth is attributed to the Thai government’s visa-free policy, recently extended until November 11, 2024, and the availability of various non-stop daily flights. Indian travellers show a strong preference for beach and city getaways.
Commenting on the trends, Rajeev Kale, President & Country Head – Holidays, MICE, Visa, Thomas Cook India, said, “Domestic tourism has been powering our growth trajectory this summer. What is noteworthy is that we have achieved both our top-line and passenger numbers of 12 months of 2023, within the first six months of 2024. Indians are displaying keen appetite to explore their own country, and we are witnessing exponential demand for multiple domestic trips. Young India’s working professionals and DINKs are opting for multiple mini-cations, combining public holidays with weekends for short getaways, in addition to longer domestic vacations lasting 15 days.”Daniel D’souza, President & Country Head, Leisure, SOTC Travel, added, “We are excited to share our delivery on our Domestic business: we have achieved our 2023 business numbers within just six months of 2024! Our strategy to motivate Indians to explore our own country is clearly working very well and this is a great motivation for our teams. India offers an incredible diversity of hidden gems and exceptional experiences, and our data trends reveal that Indians are actively exploring them. We are bullish on India’s Domestic segment and at SOTC we are ready to set new goals for the next six months and the year ahead.”
