Sustainable and restorative travel remain key for Indian travellers

This World Tourism Day, Airbnb presents a round-up of key travel trends that have emerged in India and reflect how consumers are viewing travel in the new normal, inspired by rising tourism demand and travellers in India embracing new forms of travel.

Travel to domestic destinations is still popular among Indians. This means that more people are interested in exploring newer destinations near metros, in the hills, and in off-the-beaten-path destinations that provide authentic local experiences. Searches for international locations are also increasing as more places relax restrictions.

The data also shows how homestay hosts have benefited from renting out their spaces, with both millennials and senior hosts anticipating increased earnings and growth. Airbnb identifies some of the key trends observed in the first half of 2021 that paint a picture of travel in the new normal.

Travellers are discovering new stay experiences when they travel, according to Airbnb India data. The Airbnb platform's Flexible Destinations feature also assists travellers in discovering and highlighting interesting places near and far.

Globally, Airbnb offers over 170,000 of these types of properties, a 30 per cent increase from May 2019. The number of searches for unique listings was 94 per cent higher in June 2021 compared to the same period in 2019. Listings that are unique Since the beginning of the pandemic, Indian hosts have earned more than INR 3.2 crore (March 11, 2020 to April 30, 2021).

The search data also revealed that farm stays are the most desired unique accommodation type among Indian travellers, followed by cottages, earth houses, and treehouses.

Goa is still a popular domestic destination, Popular domestic destinations continue to be in high demand for hosted travel. Goa remains the most popular destination for homestays, followed by Delhi, Lonavala, and Bengaluru.

Consumers' trust in international travel is growing, With the opening of travel bubbles with various countries, sentiment toward international travel is rising, as evidenced by searches for destinations such as Canada, the United Kingdom, Europe, and the United Arab Emirates.

The future of travel is one of sustainability, there is a growing interest among Indian travellers in making sustainable travel choices. The vast majority of guests actively sought eco-friendly features in their chosen lodging.

As the ability to live and work from anywhere becomes more common, being able to check a listing's WiFi speed before booking is a must-have for digital nomads. Airbnb's WiFi speed listing feature assists travellers in finding the ideal lodging.

“Demand for travel is picking up, and the sector is showing positive signs of being able to meet the challenge of recovery. Indian travellers are ever-eager to identify unique accommodations they may not have experienced before. Travellers are also becoming increasingly aware of sustainable travel and of making environmentally friendly choices when travelling. With a firm focus on cultivating responsible tourism practices, Airbnb is committed to working with our Hosts to ensure that travel is restorative for the communities in which we are based. We have always supported travel that empowers local communities and benefits them economically. Our aim is also to cultivate micro-entrepreneurship and we are glad to see Hosts across demographics benefit from the recent uptick in travel,” said Amanpreet Bajaj, General Manager - Airbnb India, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan.