With a philosophy of making holidays a priority, Kuoni– SOTC, today revealed the findings of its India Holiday Report 2015. The study was conducted by Nielsen with 900+ Indians across 6 cities - Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Bangalore and Chennai in the age group of 25 to 60 years to understand the mindset and behaviour of the Indian traveler towards holidays.
Speaking on the report launch, Mr. Vishal Suri, CEO - Tour Operating, Kuoni India said, “The Kuoni-SOTC Holiday Report for 2015, research for which has been conducted by Nielsen with an objective to understand and obtain insights of the Indian Leisure Traveler and their travel behaviour. At Kuoni-SOTC, it is always our endeavour to continuously offer great value to our customers and cater to their needs. The insights from this study will further help us move in this direction making holidays a priority for Indians.”
The Report showcases the findings of the study under the following 3 categories:
1) HOLIDAY PLANNING AND INFLUENCERS
Holidays rated higher than clothes & electronic gadgets
International and domestic holidays are looked at as investment for an experience that no material pursuit can provide. At 15% respondents grading ‘Holidays’ over ‘Clothes and Apparel’ (13%) and ‘Electronics’ (10%) are proof that holidays are more important to them, over corporeal demands.
Chennai leads the pack with a whopping19%, followed by Ahmedabad, Delhi, Kolkata, Bengaluru and then Mumbai. All age groups of 25-40, 40-50 and 50-60 respondents showed the same enthusiasm for holidays echoing the thought ‘age is just a number’.
96% respondents believe that holidays are important
Everyone interviewed acknowledged that they “needed a break”. With the planning entrusted upon travel planners, consideration of taking a holiday has increased manifold. While almost two out of three people consider holidays to be vital in their lives for rejuvenation and efficiency, one third consider holidays to be considerably important.
Cost effectiveness and Indian cuisine are the top reasons to prefer group holidays
The Indian traveler wants value for money spent. Another trait that sets many Indian travelers apart is their staunch preference for Indian cuisines. With group holidays meeting both these criteria, it is not surprising that such packages have many takers. 81% of respondents chose group holidays because of their ‘Cost Effectiveness’. 68% respondents choose group holidays thanks to their inclination towards home food.
87% of respondents in Delhi and 73% in Ahmedabad selected ‘Indian Food’ as the decisive factor for opting for group holidays.
89% of people in Kolkata prefer to travel with their regional community on group holidays.
Holiday experiences -gender preferences
Women
Women look at holidays primarily as an escape from the house-hold chores. They seek pampering and indulgence which they are not usually able to indulge in back home.
Long relaxing spas and beauty treatments tops the list of indulgence. Women respondents enjoy spending on shopping at the local markets and buying collectibles and souvenirs.
Playing cards and indulging in adventure sports is a rising trend among them.
Men
Men seek space when on a holiday. A holiday for them is fundamentally a holiday from people, networking and associating.
Men love exploring quirky markets that are not to be found in their own city or country. The idiosyncrasy of the locale captivates a male traveler and adds to the thrill.
Like women seek freedom from household chores, men want to free themselves from the burdens of workplace and economy. With family, some men feel uncomfortable ditching them for a bar hopping or night crawling session. Some prefer to visit places without families to avoid the guilt and discomfort if the family is not like minded.
2) HOLIDAYS FINANCE AND SHARE OF WALLET
64% respondents save money for holidays
Most respondents plan and save for their dream vacation. By creating a holiday fund, almost 64% respondents save for their holidays.
‘Credit Cards’ has turned out to be the next preferred option as it gives the respondent the space to pay for the trip in installments for a small interest.
11% of them prefer to go post-paid instead of saving for the big trip.
Spontaneity is a welcome feature when awarded with bonuses, about 7% the respondents lean on spending the ‘Bonus or Incentives’ on a holiday. The same percentage (7%) ‘Takes Loans’ for their holidays, because of impulse.
88% respondents prefer ‘Bank Savings’ for their holidays
16% of respondents’ annual income is spent on holidays
Today’s traveler takes pleasure in treating him / herself. Amongst all the Indian respondents that were surveyed, Domestic Holidays consumed 11% of their annual income. International Holidays lag behind with 5% of annual income kept aside for such extravagances.
With an eye on rainy days, respondents preferred spending more (11%) on holidays than on ‘Home Appliances’ (8%), ‘Electronic Gadgets’ (8%), and even on ‘Medical Expenses’ (7%)
3) LEAVES, DURATION, HOLIDAY FREQUENCY AND CANCELLATION
83% respondents take upto 20 days of leave annually
A holiday is no longer a frivolous indulgence; it has become a priority.
The highest number of respondents at 44% took 11 to 20 days of leave per year
80% respondents holiday at least once a year
A holiday is a reward one gives oneself after having worked really hard during the year.
Four out of five respondents took a vacation at least ‘Once a year’
17% of respondents take a holiday at least ‘Once in Six Months’ out of which a small but certain lot of 6%respondents are serious about holidaying or choose to holiday at least ‘Once every 3 months’.
Health, work & budget; top reasons for cancelling holidays
‘Personal Health Conditions’ have been the cause for cancelled holidays for 66% of the respondents.
‘Work Commitments’ have played the role of villain for 63% of the respondents.
62% of respondents held ‘Budget Constraints’ responsible for their holidays being cancelled.
And lastly, the report ends with vacationers being divided into four distinct groups i.e. value seeker, adventure enthusiast, culture venturer and the Pro based on their Holiday traits.
Key findings from Mumbai City
In Mumbai, people rate ‘Savings for future (Mean Score 17) & current use (14)’ and ‘Clothes & Apparels (16)’ as more important than Holidays (13). Importance of Holidays in Mumbai is 4th on the list, which is least amongst all other cities that were studied - Delhi, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Chennai and Ahmedabad.
‘Destination & Location’ plays the most important role while planning a Holiday amongst people of Mumbai. It is followed by ‘Attractive Travel Packages.’
77% of Mumbaites holiday once a year while 12% holiday once every 6 months. Considering the work-life balance in a city like Mumbai, the frequency is remarkable.
65% respondents spent 7 to 10 days on their last holiday, while 31% spent 10 to 15 days. People in Mumbai prefer longer holidays.
Budget constraints, Wedding / Other functions and Limited Leaves are top reasons to cancel a Holiday amongst respondents from Mumbai.
|
About Kuoni-SOTC:
Kuoni- SOTC - India's Leading Tour operator, is the unification of two renowned travel brands giving shape to the dream holidays of millions of travellers. Embodying the goodness and approachability of ‘SOTC’ and the global expertise and explorer imagery of ‘Kuoni’, Kuoni- SOTC is the new age innovative holiday maker. With our 106 years of global expertise and 60 years of local experience, ‘We are for holidays’ to never let your holiday spirit die.
The mainstream holiday business is a leader in all travel segments namely Escorted Tours, Customized Holidays and Domestic Holidays amongst others. The Corporate Tours division is the leader in Incentive Travel.
Kuoni Travel (India) Private Limited is a Company incorporated under the Companies Act 1956 with Corporate Identification no: U63090MH1992PTC070074
