Indian tourists to spend more in 2016; Oz most favoured spot

Indians are likely to increase their spending on travelling to around USD 4,501 per trip on their next journey in 2016 from USD 3,106 spent in 2015, says a report.
"Indian travellers are likely to spend around USD 4,501 on their next trip, a significant increase over the last couple of years, USD 2,823 per trip in 2013 and USD 3,106 in 2015," according to Visa Global Travel Intentions Study 2015.
The rise in spending is directly correlated to the travellers' preference for taking long-haul trips, with an average tour length of nine nights, it said.
The domestic travellers' expenditure will be significantly higher than their counterparts in the APAC (Asia Pacific) region and across the globe.

Australia is the favourite international destination for Indian holiday-makers, followed by USA, Singapore and the United Kingdom, the study revealed.
For 75 per cent of the travellers, availability of activities to engage in is one of the key drivers for selecting a destination. Around 70 per cent of the tourists choose a destination to get familiarise to that place.

The 'opportunity to bond' has been identified as the main reason for travel by 1 in 2 domestic travellers, the study showed.
"Those in the age bracket 36-44 years are also more likely to travel to 'escape' from their hectic and fast paced lives."

Close to 41 per cent of the trippers use social networking platforms and around 39 per cent travel review sites during their trip to stay connected and informed about their destination.
In the course of travel, Indians love to share their experiences in real-time, with 93 per cent of them connected online and 82 per cent using social networking websites (Facebook being the most popular option), it said.
Travel outlook remains positive over the next two years as domestic tourers intend to take an average of six international trips in a year, as compared to five in the last two years, the study added.