32% travellers in India book via mobile apps: Survey

At least a third of travellers from India are booking holidays on their mobile phones says a new survey by online travel portal Yatra.

The latest survey shows that Indian travellers decide on the go and are well in tune with the latest technology.

The survey reveals a 10% year-on-year jump since 2014 has been observed in mobile bookings, currently standing at almost 32%.

While desktops and laptops continue to be the preferred medium of booking, there is a steep decline in demand for travel agents with the number being a mere 8% in 2016 versus 11.2% in 2015.

Additionally, 67.4% are planning a summer trip in 2016, as against only 35% in 2015. Despite the rupee slipping to 66-67 levels against the US dollar, nearly 31% of travellers are looking at international trips for summer 2016.

The survey also found that North Eastern states are showing prominence as a top choice in domestic destinations. Amongst international destinations, Bali and Mauritius have come forward as the new popular choices this summer.

Travellers spending on summer trip per person has seen an increase in the mid segment range, with over 25% people looking to spend Rs 25,000-50,000 in 2016, as against 17% in 2015.

There continues to be a large number of travellers that continue to choose budget accommodation to manage expenditure while travelling in 2016.

The survey also found that 44% Indians believe that relaxation during holidays is the key reason to travel in 2016.

"We continue to see a strong year-on-year growth in Indians travelling to various foreign and domestic destinations. We have also seen an increased demand for newer destinations this summer, with North East India destinations making it to our top five domestic destinations," says Sharat Dhall, president, Yatra.com.

"Indians are increasingly getting comfortable making their travel bookings on the mobile and (we) expect to see a further increase in bookings via our app in the coming year" he says.

This summer there has been a stark increase in families planning for holidays together, with almost 45% opting for family vacation in 2016, as compared to only 17% in 2015, according to the survey.

With women starting to become an important demographic while planning holidays, they are increasingly looking for holidays with partners, parents and children, and also alone.

Hotels continue to be top choice of accommodation whereas staying with family and friends continues to decline.

Also travellers are better informed and they decide destinations backed by online research from travel blogs.