71% millennials ready to travel within India

Even as the Covid-19 pandemic continues to impact travel and tourism sector in the country, 71 per cent millennials are willing to travel within the country in the next six months, as per a survey.

Millennials are likely to become the key driver of tourism revival with 71 per cent respondents in the category saying they are willing to explore 'Incredible India' in the next six months due to various international travel restrictions, according to BOTT (Business of Travel Trade) Travel Sentiment Tracker. The online survey was conducted over a period of three weeks in September, with over 6,000 millennials participating, a statement said.

Millennials, also known as Generation Y, are generally considered to be those born during 1980s to mid-1990s. The survey revealed that contrary to perception, millennials are very much interested in exploring 'Incredible India' more than ever, provided they are given hassle-free seamless travel experiences.

About 42 per cent millennials said they find lack of proper information on Covid-19 restrictions a major challenge while planning a holiday within India, while 38 per cent felt there is not enough credible travel information on unique destinations, it observed. "Millennials today form a very important chunk of the travellers. The fact that 71 per cent of them are keen on exploring India in the coming months is an extremely positive sign for the growth of domestic tourism in our country," Indian Association of Tour Operators President Pronab Sarkar said.

"States must come forward and try to come out with policies and campaigns to attract this segment of travellers," he added.

The survey found that millennials are much more likely to go on trips and holidays if they are actively offered tailor-made, hassle-free seamless travel experiences with proper communication. The survey revealed that about 21 per cent of millennials said their decision on choosing holiday destination would be based on seeing tourism campaigns of respective States and union territories.

About 41 per cent of the respondents said they would like to spend somewhere between Rs 1-2 lakh on their holidays, followed by 30 per cent of them who have a budget of Rs 50,000-Rs 1 lakh, and 17 per cent are ready to spend more than Rs 2 lakh on vacations. Millennials also seem to have a wide range of destinations where they would want to holiday, the survey said. Around 22 per cent millennials surveyed said they would like to go to beach destinations, while 21 per cent of them would prefer wildlife parks and sanctuaries.

About 20 per cent respondents said they would like to go to plush hotels and resorts and hills or adventure destinations. While 10 per cent respondents said they would like to visit historical destinations, 7 per cent said they would opt for religious places, the survey said.