Bir, Gangtok, Leh, Manali, Mcleodganj, Mussoorie & Rishikesh remain top preferences for post-lockdown travellers: Zostel Survey

Zostel, a community-led, experience-driven ecosystem, surveys nearly 1730 respondents from various age groups, geographies, and backgrounds to understand the travel preferences in terms of preferred destinations, concerns, and travel durations.

As the world gradually gets back on its feet, even sectors that were hit the hardest by the pandemic, such as travel and hospitality, have kickstarted their revival process. Although the crisis has transformed the way we travel, people have started traveling with adequate precautionary measures.

Against this backdrop, Zostel, a community-led, experience-driven ecosystem, surveys nearly 1730 respondents from various age groups, geographies, and backgrounds to understand the travel preferences in terms of preferred destinations, concerns, and travel durations. 

Around 50 per cent of the respondents fell under the age group of 18-25, while 37 per cent were aged between 26-30, 10 per cent from 31-35, and 2.5 per cent were from the age group of 36-40. Out of this, 59 per cent were planning to travel for the first time after the nationwide lockdown.

Speaking on the survey and travel preferences in the new normal, Dharamveer Singh Chouhan, Cofounder & CEO,  Zostel said, “The way we travel has undergone a complete transformation as compared to the pre-pandemic times. The travel and hospitality industry is on the road to recovery and our survey shed light on the preferences of travellers in various categories. As the year draws to an end, we expect that more and more people will be open to the idea of traveling without many apprehensions although safety precautions will not be relaxed.

Ever since lockdown regulations were relaxed, there was a shift in consumer preference towards offbeat locations. According to the survey, the top five destinations were colder, hilly regions such as Bir, Gangtok, Leh, Manali, Mcleodganj, Mussoorie, and Rishikesh for those planning to travel in December 2020. This was closely followed by tropical, beach-based destinations like Gokarna.

Apart from this, with more people looking to connect with nature, serene locations such as Wayanad emerged as one of the top preferences. The survey also noted that places such as Panchgani, Wagamon, and Udaipur had a lot of takers while lesser preference was shown for cities such as Mumbai and Mysore. This trend was seen to be consistent throughout the different age groups or travel preferences of the respondents.

While apprehensions surrounding travel continue to prevail to a certain degree, Zostel’s survey observed that 50 per cent of respondents indicated that they plan to travel for three-seven days. This was closely followed by a preference for weekend getaways, where respondents said they plan to travel for two-three days. Additionally, 12 per cent plan to travel for  7-10 days while a small segment of 7 per cent of respondents indicated that they would travel for longer than 10 days.

Furthermore, 46 per cent of respondents suggested that they prefer to travel with friends while 30 per cent planned to travel solo. 14 per cent indicated that they would travel with their partners and 9 per cent planned to travel with family. 

With the pandemic making people steer clear of crowds, Zostel noted that a majority of people, 50 per cent, preferred to travel with one-two friends while 40 per cent opted for traveling in a group of two-five members. 6.5 per cent of respondents said they would be willing to travel in a group of five-eight while a mere 1 per cent indicated that they would travel in a group comprising over 10 people.

Zostel’s survey saw that despite a majority of respondents traveling for the first time after the outbreak, the top travel concern was the local attractions of the destination which was closely followed by safety and social distancing norms implemented. With an increasing number of people opting to escape the monotony and work remotely from different destinations, stable internet connectivity also turned out to be one of the top travel concerns.

However, for younger groups, i.e., those aged 18-30, pricing was the top concern while social distancing, safety, and internet connectivity was the key area of concern for respondents aged between 31-40. From Zostel’s survey, it is clear that places that offer the aforementioned facilities are bound to receive more footfalls.



Advertisement

Around The World

Advertisement