HolidayIQ.com Insights: Winter Holidays Prediction Report 2013

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1 HolidayIQ.com Insights: Winter Holidays Prediction Report 2013 The HolidayIQ.com Insights: Winter Holidays Prediction Report 2013 is an analysis of travellers planning trips from November 2013 January Based on the information submitted continuously by a traveller community of over 50 lakh Indians per month, the intelligence team at HolidayIQ.com, collates data from multiple on site user actions, analyses and identifies trends that have emerged in domestic vacations in India. Winter 2013: An overview Travellers are taking longer & more expensive holidays this winter however, they are travelling in shorter groups. Beach & hill station destinations are most popular this winter accounting for almost 78% holidays planned Holidays are becoming more activity driven from jet skiing and surfing at beach destinations to trekking, rock climbing, white water rafting or skiing at hill stations or even wildlife safaris or coracle rides travellers are looking for experiences to make holidays more memorable. Travellers spend more on accommodation when they are travelling to a desert, beach or jungle destination and spend the least on pilgrimage destinations. Also, holidays planned by women have 8% higher budget/person/night than those planned by men As a traveller category, couple travellers are becoming an important segment. This year, couple travellers account for 50% of total winter holidays planned and had the highest budgets. Family vacations also forms a large share in and accounts for 1/4th of total winter holidays planned this year Holiday planning is done more on weekdays, with maximum number of holidays being planned on a Wednesday. Interestingly, holidays planned on Wednesdays have a 15% higher budget than holidays planned on any other day, something travel agents and hotels should make a note of. The report covers the following: Topic Page No. I V/s II. Destination Insights 3 Popular & emerging Destinations Large number of Winter Travellers travel outside their region III. Holiday planning behaviour 6 Home v/s at office, Weekdays v/s weekends IV. Traveller Insights 7 Emergence of couple travellers Family holidays: 1/4th of winter holidays are planned with kids City-wise insights V. Trends in Travel Budget: Highest budgets allocated for Desert, Beach & Jungle destinations 12 H o l i d a y I Q. c o m I n s i g h t s : W i n t e r H o l i d a y s P r e d i c t i o n R e p o r t

2 I V/s 2013 Avg. budget/pers/night Rs. 2,500 Rs. 2,000 Rs. 1,500 Rs. 1,000 Rs. 500 Rs. 0 Rs. 1,564 Rs. 2, Trip Length (Nights) Group Size Average holiday budgets per person per night have increased from Rs in 2012 to Rs this winter, indicating a 48% rise Compared to last year, trips have become longer by 36.3% with travellers taking an average trip of 3.8 nights this year However, people are planning trips in smaller groups with group size reducing by 16%. H o l i d a y I Q. c o m I n s i g h t s : W i n t e r H o l i d a y s P r e d i c t i o n R e p o r t

3 II. Destination Insights This winter, Beach & Hill station destinations are the most popular accounting for nearly 77% of all holidays planned More travellers are opting for destinations outside their regions of residence. Destination Themes 1.2% 1.2% 0.5% 5% 3% 5.0% 6.1% 36.4% 42.2% Beach Hill Heritage Pilgrimage Jungle City Desert Waterfront Other Beach Holidays: Beach Holidays are most popular accounting for over 40% trips this winter Beach holidays today are no longer limited to lazing in a hammock, but include a lot of water sports from wind surfing to jet skiing to scuba diving & snorkelling In addition to popular beach destinations such as Goa & the Andaman & Nicobar islands, lesser known beaches & hill stations are attracting travellers 1. Tarkarli, Maharashtra : A beautiful seaside village, known for its white sandy beaches, marine life & water sports like scuba diving & snorkelling. 2. Ganapatipule, Maharashtra: Traditionally a destination attracting pilgrims, Ganapatipule is now emerging as a favourite for beach lovers. 3. Diu, Daman & Diu: A tiny island in the Arabian Sea, Diu is known for its serene virgin beaches and resplendent forts. It is also becoming a popular choice for water sports enthusiasts interested in wind-surfing & para-sailing H o l i d a y I Q. c o m I n s i g h t s : W i n t e r H o l i d a y s P r e d i c t i o n R e p o r t

4 4. Alibaug, Maharashtra: This 300-year old seaside town has something to offer for beachbums & heritage seekers alike. In addition to its beautiful beaches, Alibaug attracts travellers to its Portugese ruins, Buddhist caves & mughal baths 5. Mandarmani, West Bengal: a fast developing seaside village famous for water sports such as surfing, jet skiing & parasailing. Mandarmani is known for its 13 km long motorable stretch making it a must-visit spot for motorbiking & ATV rides. Hill Station Holidays Most popular hill station destinations 1) Ooty 2) Shimla 3) Manali 4) Darjeeling 5) Coorg Emerging hill station destinations 1) Mahabaleshwar, Maharashtra: Mahabaleshwar is now emerging as a popular holiday destination. Known for its picturesque settings, pleasant weather, sites of historic significance & fresh local produce it is a favourite especially for travellers from Mumbai & Pune. 2) Munnar, Kerala: one of the popular hill station getaways in Kerala, Munnar is an idyllic destination with rolling hills, grasslands, dense forests, brooks and rivulets, waterfalls, lakes, tea plantations and walking trails. 3) Pachmarhi, Madhya Pradesh: The pristine hill station surrounded by forests is a part of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserves. The Satpura National Park, Jata Shankar cave, Pandav caves, Fairy Pool, Victorian churches and Big Falls are few of the major attractions here. It is also emerging as an adventure sports destination with activities like parasailing, trekking and rock climbing becoming increasingly popular. 4) Matheran, Maharashtra: Matheran is one among the eco-sensitive regions in the world where motored vehicles are not allowed and is frequented by nature lovers and wildlife enthusiasts. Matheran offers sightseeing attractions such as Porcupine Point, Panorama Point, Echo Point, Charlott Lake, King George Point, Louisa Point, Paymaster Park, Panthers Caves, Hart Point, etc. It is also popular for activities such as trekking, hiking and rock climbing. 5) Saputara, Gujarat: This little known hill station has a lot to offer for all sorts of travellers like the museum of Saputara, many beautifully designed gardens, facilities for boating & sailing, Gira waterfalls, the Vansda National Park and the Purna Sanctuary. H o l i d a y I Q. c o m I n s i g h t s : W i n t e r H o l i d a y s P r e d i c t i o n R e p o r t

5 Travelling longer distances: 2/3 rd travellers are travelling outside their region: Traditionally, it was observed that travellers prefer to travel within the region they reside in. For instance, travellers from the north prefer holidaying in the north and travellers from the west prefer holiday destinations in the west. However, in comparison to last year, this winter there is a marked increase in travellers choosing holiday destinations outside the region they reside in. In 2012, only 41% of winter trips planned were outside the traveller s region of residence whereas this year such trips accounted for 66% of all trips planned 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Travellers travelling withing and outside their region 66% 59% 41% 34% Outside Region Within Region East and North East travellers travel outside their region more than others. However, majority of South Indian travellers prefer travelling within their region. 80.0% 60.0% 40.0% 20.0% 0.0% % of travellers travelling outside their region 75.4% 72.8% 69.5% 66.4% 41.1% East North East North West South East North East North West South H o l i d a y I Q. c o m I n s i g h t s : W i n t e r H o l i d a y s P r e d i c t i o n R e p o r t

6 III. Holiday planning behaviour: 73.2% holidays are planned on weekdays and only 26.8% on weekends. Wednesday is the most popular day for planning holidays accounting for 16% of all holidays planned. Further, holidays planned on Wednesdays have a budget 15% higher than those planned on any other day. Holidays planned by women have 8% higher budget/person/night than those planned by men When are the Winter Holidays Planned 26.8% 73.2% Weekday Weekend 2/3 rd of holiday planning was done from work Where are the Winter Holidays Planned 45.6% 54.4% Home Office Holidays planned by women have 8% higher budget/person/night than those planned by men Rs. 3,500 Rs. 2,500 Rs. 1,500 Rs. 500 Accommodation budget/person/night Rs. 2,485 Rs. 2,304 Planned by Women Planned by Men Planned by Women Planned by Men H o l i d a y I Q. c o m I n s i g h t s : W i n t e r H o l i d a y s P r e d i c t i o n R e p o r t

7 IV. Traveller Insights Emergence of couple travellers: Couple travellers are emerging as an important category of travellers accounting for 50% of all trips planned Family vacations form a significant part of winter holidays, accounting for 26% of all trips planned North Indians spend more and go for longer holidays as compared to South Indians Gujaratis have the highest average group size, travellers from Haryana have the lowest Holidays by Couple travellers form 50% of total winter holidays During the rest of the year, holidays planned by couple travellers holidays account for 30-35% of total holidays, however during winter this share goes to 50% Traveller Group Types 2.1% 21.9% Couple Family 50.1% Group Single 26.0% Couple travellers plan longer & more expensive holidays allocating the highest average budget of Rs.2611 per person per night, followed by family travellers at Rs.2137, group travellers at Rs & single travellers at Rs Below is a comparison Accommodation budget/person/night Rs. 3,000 Rs. 2,500 Rs. 2,000 Rs. 1,500 Rs. 1,000 Rs. 500 Rs. 0 Rs. 2,611 Rs. 2,137 Rs. 1,974 Rs. 1,693 Couple Family Group Single Couple Family Group Single H o l i d a y I Q. c o m I n s i g h t s : W i n t e r H o l i d a y s P r e d i c t i o n R e p o r t

8 Average Trip Length (nights) Couple Family Group Single Couple Family Group Single More than half the holidays taken by couple travellers is honeymoon travel. 5.0% 3.3% Intent of Holidays 37.3% 54.4% Honeymoon Casual Vacation Adventure Others Favorite destinations of couple travellers are below i. Andaman & Nicobar ii. Goa iii. Kerala iv. Ooty v. Shimla Emerging destinations frequented by couple travellers i. Matheran, Maharashtra Matheran is frequented by nature lovers and wildlife enthusiasts and offers sightseeing attractions such as Porcupine Point, Panorama Point, Echo Point, Charlott Lake, King George Point, Louisa Point, Paymaster Park, Panthers Caves, Hart Point, etc. It is also popular for activities such as trekking, hiking and rock climbing. ii. Pachmarhi, Madhya Pradesh The pristine hill station surrounded by forests is a part of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserves. The Satpura National Park, Jata Shankar cave, Pandav caves, Fairy Pool, Victorian churches and Big Falls are few of the major attractions here. It is also emerging as an adventure sports destination with activities like parasailing, trekking and rock climbing becoming increasingly popular. H o l i d a y I Q. c o m I n s i g h t s : W i n t e r H o l i d a y s P r e d i c t i o n R e p o r t

9 iii. Wayanad, Kerala Mist covered valleys, luxuriant forests, spice plantations, hill ranges, waterfalls, wildlife sanctuaries and Stone Age sites are some of the popular attractions of Wayanad. iv. Araku Valley, Andhra Pradesh Araku Valley is a scenic hill station famous for its coffee plantations, green hills, trekking trails, waterfalls and dense forests. Borra caves, with its millionyear old stalactites and stalagmites attracts many travellers during winter. v. Tarkarli, Maharashtra: A beautiful seaside village, known for its white sandy beaches, marine life & water sports like scuba diving & snorkelling. Family Vacations: 1/4 th of winter holidays are planned with kids Due to winter holidays in schools, family vacations form a significant part of winter holidays, accounting for 26% of all trips planned Below are the popular destinations where travellers are holidaying with kids i. Goa ii. Puri iii. Pachmarhi iv. Kerala v. Visakhapatnam Lot of travellers are taking their kids to lesser know destinations. Below are the top 5 i. Chikhaldara, Maharashtra A beautiful hill station replete with wildlife, lakes, waterfalls and viewpoints, Chikhaldara is known for the Gugamal National Park, Chikhaldara Wildlife Sanctuary, Melghat Tiger Reserve and Semadoh Lake ii. Matheran, Maharashtra Matheran is frequented by nature lovers and wildlife enthusiasts and offers sightseeing attractions such as Porcupine Point, Panorama Point, Echo Point, Charlott Lake, King George Point, Louisa Point, Paymaster Park, Panthers Caves, Hart Point, etc. It is also popular for activities such as trekking, hiking and rock climbing. iii. Saputara, Gujarat This little known hill station has a lot to offer for all sorts of travellers like the museum of Saputara, many beautifully designed gardens, facilities for boating & sailing, Gira waterfalls, the Vansda National Park and the Purna Sanctuary iv. Jaldapara, West Bengal is famous for one-horned rhinos, royal Bengal tigers, wild elephants, sambhar, barking deer, spotted deer,hog deer, wild pig, bisons and a number of birds and peafowls. Elephants and Safari Jeeps are available to tour the entire sanctuary. v. Kanha, Madhya Pradesh Jungle safaris & animal spotting at Kanha can be an exciting experience as it houses some rare species of tigers, leopards, wild dogs, wild cats, fox, jackals and Indian Bison. Visiting hours are only in the early mornings and from late afternoon to sunset. Other attractions in Kanha include the Kanha Museum, displaying the culture of indigenous tribes. H o l i d a y I Q. c o m I n s i g h t s : W i n t e r H o l i d a y s P r e d i c t i o n R e p o r t

10 North Indians spend more and go for longer holidays as compared to South Indians Below is a comparison of average budget per person per night and average trip length of North Indian and South Indian travellers. Rs. 3,000 Rs. 2,500 Rs. 2,000 Rs. 1,500 Rs. 1,000 Rs. 500 Accommodation budget/person/night Rs. 2,692 Rs. 2,254 North South North South Average Trip Length (Nights) North 3.3 South North South 30% of North Indians plan to travel to South India this winter holiday season. While just 15% of South Indians are travelling to North India. Below are the favorite destinations of North Indians i. Goa ii. Andaman & Nicobar iii. Kerala iv. Manali v. Shimla Below are the favorite destinations of South Indians i. Andaman & Nicobar ii. Goa iii. Ooty iv. Coorg v. Kerala H o l i d a y I Q. c o m I n s i g h t s : W i n t e r H o l i d a y s P r e d i c t i o n R e p o r t

11 Gujaratis have the highest average group size, travellers from Haryana have the lowest Average group size of Gujaratis is 4.8 persons per trip. This figure for travellers from Haryana is just 3 persons per trip Overall, travellers from West India travel in larger groups. North Indians have the smallest average group size. Average Trip Length (Nights) North North East South East West North North East South East West Theme of destinations where travellers travel in the largest groups are below Average Trip Length (Nights) Desert Jungle Pilgrimage Desert Jungle Pilgrimage Below are the top 5 destinations with the largest average group size i. Vaishno Devi (Pilgrimage) ii. Puri (Pilgrimage) iii. Jaisalmer (Desert) iv. Ranthambore (Jungle) v. Rameshwaram(Pilgrimage) H o l i d a y I Q. c o m I n s i g h t s : W i n t e r H o l i d a y s P r e d i c t i o n R e p o r t

12 V. Trends in Travel Budget Travellers have the highest budget for holidays in Desert, Beach and Jungle destinations This winter, the most expensive holidays are being planned to the Agatti island in Lakshadweep and the least expensive ones to Rameshwaram, Tamil Nadu Holidays planned by women have 8% higher budget/person/night than those planned by men Travellers from Chandigarh have the highest average holiday budgets, whereas travellers from Durgapur have the lowest Travellers have the highest budget for holidays in Desert, Beach and Jungle destinations Travellers spend more on accommodation when they are travelling a desert, beach or jungle destination. They spend the lowest on Pilgrimage destinations. Rs. 3,000 Rs. 2,741 Rs. 2,553 Rs. 2,365 Average budget/pers/night Rs. 2,500 Rs. 2,000 Rs. 1,500 Rs. 2,202 Rs. 2,062 Rs. 1,902 Rs. 1,874 Rs. 1,579 Rs. 1,213 Desert Beach Jungle Rs. 1,000 Hill Rs. 500 Honeymoon Rs. 0 Waterfront Heritage Travellers spend the most on accommodation while travelling to the below destinations Average budget/pers/night Rs. 4,000 Rs. 3,724 Rs. 3,500 Rs. 3,000 Rs. 3,319 Rs. 2,974 Rs. 2,944 Rs. 2,887 Rs. 2,788 Rs. 2,500 Rs. 2,000 Rs. 1,500 Rs. 1,000 Rs. 500 Rs. 0 Agatti Ranthambore Andaman & Nicobar Coorg Kerala Jaisalmer H o l i d a y I Q. c o m I n s i g h t s : W i n t e r H o l i d a y s P r e d i c t i o n R e p o r t

13 Travellers spend the least on accommodation while traveling to the below destinations Rs. 1,600 Rs. 1,400 Rs. 1,200 Rs. 1,000 Rs. 800 Rs. 600 Rs. 400 Rs. 200 Rs. 0 Average budget/pers/night Rs. 1,305 Rs. 1,341 Rs. 1,114 Rs. 1,186 Rs. 1,187 Rameshwaram Araku Valley Puri Vaishno Devi Visakhapatnam Below are the top 5 cities of travellers who have the highest budgets Rs. 3,600 Rs. 3,400 Rs. 3,387 Average budget/pers/night Rs. 3,200 Rs. 3,000 Rs. 3,081 Rs. 3,006 Rs. 2,904 Rs. 2,891 Rs. 2,800 Rs. 2,600 Chandigarh Amritsar Allahabad Faridabad Ludhiana Below are the top 5 cities of travellers who have the lowest budgets Rs. 1,800 Rs. 1,700 Rs. 1,600 Rs. 1,500 Rs. 1,468 Average budget/pers/night Rs. 1,519 Rs. 1,613 Rs. 1,705 Rs. 1,711 Rs. 1,400 Rs. 1,300 Durgapur Kolkata Varanasi Vishakapatnam Jamshedpur HolidayIQ.com is not a travel agent but India's leading travel planning website powered by reviews contributed by millions of Indian travellers. After finding all the information needed to plan holidays, travellers can compare hotel availability and prices among all leading online travel agencies from within HolidayIQ.com and proceed to book with the vendor of choice. Alternatively, they can search, find, connect with & request for customized packages from over 1000 traditional (offline) Indian travel agents who specialize in various tourism destinations in India and abroad. HolidayIQ.com also lists a large number of standard & unique packages from various hotels & agents. These tools coupled with the large volume of credible traveller community contributed content on the website provide Indian travellers with a comprehensive set of options to book their next holiday. H o l i d a y I Q. c o m I n s i g h t s : W i n t e r H o l i d a y s P r e d i c t i o n R e p o r t

14 About HolidayIQ.com: HolidayIQ.com is India s largest holiday information portal powered by India's first & biggest travel community - its purpose is to unleash the power of user opinions to create a smarter Indian traveler. HolidayIQ.com has about Indian hotels & 1300 Indian destinations listed on the website and is used by 50 Lac Indian travellers every month for planning their trips. HolidayIQ.com is not a travel agency and does not do bookings at all. HolidayIQ.com is also not partially or fully owned by any travel agency or hotel chain or any other travel industry player. Therefore HolidayIQ.com is fully independent and can provide travellers with truthful information not affected by any requirements to sell specific travel products. For more information please visit: For further details, please contact: Nihal Shaikh Nihals@holidayiq.com H o l i d a y I Q. c o m I n s i g h t s : W i n t e r H o l i d a y s P r e d i c t i o n R e p o r t