Dubai, Bangkok and London top choices for Indian travellers, says report

Metro cities like New Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Chennai, along with hill stations, topped the chart for travellers in the first half of this year, according to a report.

People are increasingly choosing to travel to metropolitan areas, including New Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune, and hill stations like Manali and Rishikesh, and places with a strong cultural heritage like Jaipur, according to data collated by travel aggregator Booking.com.

Most-booked international destinations by Indian travellers in the first half of 2023 include Dubai, Bangkok, London, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Ho Chi Minh City, Paris, and Hanoi.
Along with hotels, alternative accommodations such as resorts, guest houses, and homestays were the most popular choices for stays in H1, it said.

Top countries from where travellers visited India in H1 of 2023 were the UK, the US, Bangladesh, Russia, and the UAE. Most of these visitors travelled to New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Kolkata, the report said.

This report is based on booking data of all travellers visiting India (Indian travellers and international travellers) with check-in dates of January 1 to June 27, 2023.

Travel has undeniably become increasingly popular in recent years despite macroeconomic headwinds faced by the industry. Its been heartwarming to see a significantly higher level of optimism for travel in 2023, compared to last year. This growing enthusiasm to travel is further reflected in the choices made by explorers who are increasingly opting for alternative stays besides hotels,” Booking.com Country Manager for India, Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Indonesia, Santosh Kumar, said.

The year, 86 per cent of Indian travellers are optimistic about their travel plans in the next 12 months, he added.