Short driveable holidays: A travel trend here to stay

The survey was conducted among a sample of adults who travelled for business or leisure in the past six months, and must be planning to travel in 2021.

New Delhi: A new online survey has found that 89 per cent of Indians are ready to hit their favourite domestic destinations with more confidence and excitement, as India began its vaccination rollout drive.

Most respondents emphasised on preferring high-level health and safety standards at tourism spots, hotels and resorts before selecting their favourite travel destination and properties for staycations, highlighted the survey.

Conducted by Noor Mahal, the survey also witnessed a hike in demand for domestic over foreign destinations. The survey was conducted among a sample of adults who travelled for business or leisure in the past six months, and must be planning to travel in 2021.

According to the New Informed World Traveller survey, which polled more than 3,000 adults, one in three is looking forward to travel with family and friends as compared to solo travel. Decoding the deciding elements behind selecting a preferred hotel destination, respondents voted for high level health and safety standards, sustainability, responsible tourism and authentic and value for money as key factors.

Roop Pratap Choudhary, Managing Director of Noor Mahal, an award-winning luxurious Palace Hotel Brand,

said, “People are now preferring staycations over long holidays and short distance tours over long journeys. Travellers of the new informed world are keen to take smaller journeys, and discovering wonderful experiences closer home especially with the positive and safe environment created with the news of Covid-19 vaccination rollout. Be it bag packers, corporate groups, families or friends, people are preferring to drive down to their nearby getaways for short and relaxed staycations. In our recent survey, surprisingly 59 per cent respondents preferred short driveable holidays over long distant holidays.”

As many as 69 per cent of respondents mentioned sustainability as one of their top priority before hitting any domestic travel destination. About 49 per cent respondents gave special attention to offbeat destinations so as to avoid the travel rush to popular destinations. While 32 per cent were in favour of community support to help local tourism recover amid the pandemic. A highly trained staff on hygiene and safety protocols, more personalised experiences and automation for comfort topped the survey chart of service standard expectations from hotels and resorts.