Hotels are destinations, not just places to sleep: Travel in 2021 survey

As tourists are likely to spend more time than ever in their hotel, the facilities are increasingly important deciding factor (MIG photos)

As India continues to be on the red list of several countries, foreign travel has become close to impossible. Even as restrictions begin to ease slowly, rather than risk travelling to faraway foreign destinations, many travellers are choosing to explore rare or unknown local spots.

Travel in 2021, a travel survey conducted by Agoda, Singapore-based digital travel platform, part of Booking.com, reveals some interesting facts about Indian travellers.

Indians’ top three current travel habits include taking short trips, exploring local destinations never visited before, and taking frequent local trips.

With domestic travel the only option for many travellers in India, people are prioritising how, where, and what they do on their travels based on their top accommodations must-haves.

Compared to before, accommodation has become a much more important part of how travellers choose their destinations as well as how to spend their holiday. The survey shows that since holidays now involve spending more time inside, 20 pc Indians consider the accommodation as a destination in itself, rather just a place to sleep. Food and beverage benefits (F&B) was voted as the top accommodation must-have, followed by experiences and early check-in or late check-out.

Experiences involve tours around the city, workshops, hotel activities, and these were more likely to be prioritised by respondents in the age groups 18-24, 25-34, and 35-44. As 18-24s are also the most spontaneous and likely to plan travel last minute, they are possibly the most willing to take advantage of these opportunities.

“Previously hotels might have been a base for exploring the locale, especially for international vacationers. Now with domestic visitors and staycation travel dominating travel plans, people want to enhance their accommodation experience as they may spend more time inside and are looking for the hotel to provide the entertainment,” says Enric Casals, Regional Director Southeast Asia and Oceania, Agoda.

Globally, experiences constitute an important part of a trip for respondents from Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand, and the least important for those from Japan, Singapore, and South Korea. Instead, South Korea and Japan are the most likely markets to say that room upgrades are a must have.

The survey has been released to mark the launch of Agoda’s Special Offers travel deals. “Agoda is helping consumers find the best deals with its new Agoda Special Offers product to help consumers get a more fulfilling travel experience at a great value as they continue to travel hyper local,” added Casals.

Until travellers are able to vacation abroad without any worries or restrictions, booking places for local travel using Agoda’s convenient platform will help guests make the most out of their stay.