TripAdvisor Announces 2012 Travel Roundup & Holiday Forecast For 2013

International travel takes a hit in 2012 with 14% drop in foreign holidays vs. 2011

2013 kicks off to a strong start with 53% travelling to ring in the New Year 

TripAdvisor®, the world's largest travel site, today announced the results of the second edition of their annual India Travel Trends Survey for 2013 conducted among 3200 online respondents. Despite an optimistic disposition on their holiday plans at the beginning of 2012 and being upbeat about their holiday calendar even mid-year, people have actually cut back on vacation time in 2012.  However, travellers continue to be bullish about their holiday plans for 2013 with 41 percent respondents planning to increase their vacation time next year.

According to Nikhil Ganju, Country Manager-TripAdvisor India, “Rising airfares, high hotel room costs and persistent inflation appear to be the main issues daunting holiday goers this year & travellers have expressed their concern about these trends continuing in the coming year. However, for now holiday intent for 2013 looks promising, with 41 percent leisure vacationers looking at travelling more compared to this year.”

He further added, “Another striking trend is the 40 percent respondents who experienced some form of adventure activity on their holidays this year, indicating adventure travel clearly to be a growing driving force for domestic vacationers.”

The year that was

• According to last year’s survey, 64 percent holidaymakers took an international holiday in 2011. At the beginning of 2012 people were confident of their travel plans and 85 percent respondents estimated they will take at least one international holiday. In reality however, international travel is much lower this year with 50 percent respondents who will actually take to foreign land. Domestic holidays taken this year matched traveller estimates at the beginning of 2012 and stayed stable compared to 2011 as well.
•  While only 7 percent travellers said at the beginning of the year that they will undertake lesser leisure travel in 2012 compared to the previous year, actually 28 percent actually took fewer holidays this year. 
• 60 percent respondents made some kind of change to their travel plans of which 17 percent cancelled a domestic trip and, 16 percent reduced the duration of their trip, 11 percent canned a foreign holiday,21 percent changed their destination and 10 percent traded an international destination for a domestic holiday 

On the Itinerary 

• Shopping tops the list of holiday activities followed closely by nature sightseeing. Next in line favourites is architectural/historical/cultural sightseeing and visiting religious sites. One-third respondents partied away on holiday and 27 percent chose to unwind at a spa. 
• A notable 40 percent respondents claimed to have indulged in adventure sport/outdoor activity on holiday this year while 8 percent experienced an extreme sport. Camping, hiking and white water rafting/kayaking emerged as the three most favourite adventure activities this year.

The Grinch Who Stole Holidays

 A number of factors played spoilsport for holidaymakers this year, of which inflation, high airfares and lack of leaves were primary.

• At the start of 2012, 44 percent respondents thought they would spend more on their holidays this year compared to 2011.  However, 56 percent actually stretched their budget beyond last year’s. The top three factors holidaymakers attributed their increased spend to were:
• Higher hotel room costs                                               
• Significantly higher air fares 
• Higher cost of eating out on holiday
• Those who took fewer holidays this year compared to 2011 cited not getting leaves from work and holidays plans clashing with official/personal commitments as the biggest reason. The next key factor was high inflation eating into holiday budget and high airfares.    
• 60 percent respondents claimed they made some change to their travel plans in 2012. The top three reasons according to them for altering travel plans were:
• Expensive flight tickets
• Alternate plans clashing with travel dates
• Not getting leaves from work
• Respondents looking at fewer holidays in 2013 expect inflation and lack of leaves to be their top vacation impediments next year too.
• Besides those that simply plan to take more holidays next year, holiday goers who think they will spend more in 2013 believe higher airfares and higher hotel room costs to be the top two things that will burn a hole in their pocket.
• 25 percent respondents said they will choose destinations next year where they can reach by road or train to avoid expensive airfares.

Upbeat Vacation Outlook for 2013

• 80 percent respondents claimed that they will take same or more holidays in 2013 compared to this year of which 41 percent think their leisure holidays will increase.
• Almost half the respondents (49 percent) believe they will take at least one international holiday next year. While this is a robust outlook and in line with actual foreign vacations taken in 2012, it is conservative compared to last year’s estimate for international travel.  
• 54 percent respondents think they will take a minimum of 2-3 holidays next year. 
• 56 percent people said that they will spend more holidays in 2013 compared to 2012. Half among them claim their budget will stretch as they are simply going to take more holidays compared to 2012.

Emerging Horizons: 2013

• 53 percent respondents are travelling to bring in the New Year compared to only 27 percent last year.
• Hill stations are predictably the favourite of Indian holiday makers followed by beaches as the type of destination most travelled to in 2012 and plan to travel to next year.
• While only 3 percent respondents said they attended a cruise this year, 9 percent said they plan to take a cruise in 2013.
• Indicating an upcoming tourism space, 10 percent respondents plan to attend a cultural or music event/festival on holiday in 2013.
• While 36 percent respondents were in favour of taking 1-2 holidays but of longer duration, 31 percent plan to take more frequent holidays of shorter duration next year.

 The top destinations on the vacation list for 2013 are

TOP 10 DOMESTIC	TOP 10 INTERNATIONAL
Goa	Singapore
Munnar	Dubai
Ooty	London
Manali	Bangkok
Jaipur	Hong Kong
Ladakh	Paris
Srinagar	New York
Darjeeling	Bali
Agra	Phuket
Pondicherry	Sydney