According to global research information published by online travel booking platform Booking.com, 86 percent Indian travellers to take more health and safety related precautions when traveling in the future.
71 per cent Indians would avoid certain destinations altogether due to safety concerns.
When compared with the global travel trend for avoiding destinations due to safety concerns, India ranked second globally, after Thailand.
With a shift in destination preferences, transportation preferences have also changed. 68 per cent of Indians are likely to give public transportation a miss to avoid travelling with a large number of people due to the fear of contracting Covid-19. This is higher than the global average of 46 per cent. Instead, travellers will choose to rent or drive their own car to and around their destination – making 2021 the year of the road trip.
78 per cent Indians are happy to travel to destinations where health spot checks on arrival are standard and 81 per cent Indians don’t mind travelling to a destination where it’s mandatory to wear a face mask in public.
Unsurprisingly, travellers will look to the travel industry for reassurance with 75 per cent Indians expecting travel providers to clearly outline the safety precautions they’re taking and 48 per cent agreeing that a clear display of cleaning and hygiene policies is now a must have.
Keeping safety while travelling a priority, 77 per cent of Indian travellers will only book a particular accommodation if it’s clear what health and hygiene policies it has in place, with 79 per cent favouring accommodations that have antibacterial and sanitising products. The ‘new normal’ will also see travellers prioritise and adhere to increased health and safety measures. Quarantine measures will remain less popular with only 51 per cent of Indian travellers willing to accept these in order to travel to a particular destination.
