Falling rupee fails to dampen travel plans: Yatra.Com survey

Depreciating rupee may have hurt market sentiments but it has not dampened the spirit of Indian travellers as 63% of them are still on track with their holiday plans, according to a recent survey.

Most Indians are still eager to travel, with about 63% of respondents positive towards pursuing their holiday plans, a survey released by Yatra.Com revealed.

While 86% of the respondents confirmed that the depreciating rupee will impact the average lifestyle, about 62% respondents are optimistic that the entry of international flight operators into the country will result in global and domestic travel becoming cheaper, it said.

When asked whether they would wait for the rupee to rise and then go on holiday, 43% said no, while 38% said they would like to wait till the rupee stabilises.

The balance 19% said it does not matter and that they would go on holiday anyway.

On destination choice, South East Asian countries are the favourite, followed by Europe, the United States and then the United Kingdom, the survey also revealed.

About 43% of the respondents would like to travel within India, while 45% said the location would depend on the expenses involved.

However, 12% said the destination doesn't matter, showing that there is a significant segment of well-heeled travellers for whom costs do not really matter.

"We have been periodically mapping travel trends amongst our base of travellers to get a sense of their mood, and this latest survey seems to suggest that the market is still upbeat on holiday travel despite the depreciation in the rupee," Yatra.Com President Sharat Dhall commented.

Travellers are very confident that the currency depreciation will be offset by attractive discounts offered by hotels and flight operators, thus allowing them to travel without incurring a big increase in spends, he added.

   About 42% respondents prefer travelling with family followed by travelling with their spouse, and then, with friends, the Yatra.Com survey said.

It also found that 45% respondents prefer to stay in 3 to 5 star hotels, while an equal number choose to stay in budget accommodations.

The typical budget ranged between Rs 20,000 to 50,000 per person.