Press release from Business Wire India
Source: Expedia.co.in
Wednesday, May 16, 2012 03:40 PM IST (10:10 AM GMT)
Editors: General: Consumer interest, Lifestyle, Travel & tourism; Business: Business services, Information technology, Travel & tourism; Technology
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Bar + Beach= A Party! for Indian Travelers: Expedia Flip Flop Report
Study reveals that while the global traveller relaxes on a beach, Indians are a sharp contrast and prefer beach vacations with 'new experiences'
New Delhi, Delhi, India, Wednesday, May 16, 2012 -- (Business Wire India) -- Expedia.co.in®, the world's largest online travel agency, today released the results of the 2012 Flip Flop Report, an analysis of behavior and preferences among beachgoers in Asia, North America, South America, Europe and Australia. The survey highlights the shift towards experiential travel amongst Indians. The online study was conducted by Harris Interactive, on behalf of Expedia, from February 14 to March 21, 2012, among more than 8,000 adults in 21 countries.
"The survey reveals that as opposed to the general perception of high price sensitivity, the most important criteria for Indians to decide on a beach vacation is food and beverage reputation as well as the novelty of the destination," said Manmeet Ahluwalia, Marketing Head, Expedia India.
"In fact, when Indian adults were asked to choose between spending time at the beach and spending time with family, among other options, the beach won handily. 80% of Indian travelers are already planning to go for a beach vacation within the next 12 months. To help them do so, we have great deals on domestic or overseas travel and a free holiday to be won every hour" he added.
To view/ download the survey info graphic, please click here
Appended are the detailed findings of the survey:
The popularity of the beach is unsurpassed
Globally, 52% of adults plan to holiday at the beach in the next 12 months, compared to 45% who said they took a beach vacation the year prior. And while the average stays for a beach vacation is 7.7 days globally, Indians fall below average at 5.4 days. Koreans, Japanese and Singaporeans appear to prefer beach weekends to extended stays. Additionally the specific findings for Indians include:
-- Given a choice 30% would opt for beach holiday with plenty of relaxation time, 27% for romantic holiday with spouse/partner and only 14% would prefer most to visit family or friends
-- Preferred season for a beach vacation is summer (55%) over winter (23%)
F&B wins hands down over cost of travel
-- Food and Beverage reputation, along with novelty of the destination, (77%) have the highest importance, with the total cost of travel ranking at 5th position (71%). India ranks highest globally in giving preference to food and beverage. Other factors include fun night life (69%) and activities offered at the beach (67%).
-- Indians place new experiences over relaxation, with over 60% travelling for the experience of another culture alongside being on the beach
-- Most Indians (36%) start the planning process 1-3 months in advance
-- 71% Indians are prepared to spend INR 15000 or more on a beach trip
-- 60% select a beach destination on the basis of available internet access
-- 64% decide on a beach destination depending on the time taken to reach there
-- Over 56% now consult magazines, travel sites and research for destinations and 60% use recommendations from friends, peers or family
-- Amongst different criteria for beach preference, 76% of Indians prefer to go to a beach with tourist attractions near the beach or surrounding area, followed by water & sand quality (73%), weather predictability (68%) and secluded beach environment (61%)
-- 68% Indian women look for a secluded beach environment
For Indian beachgoers, Bar + Beach=Party!
Relaxing and sunbathing were the top two activities among beachgoers across the five continents included in the Flip Flop Report, with Indians being exceptions-
-- 54% Indians have had dinner on the beach
-- 49% have gone swimming
-- 42% have spent time beachcombing
-- Bar + Beach = A party! Indians lead the 21 countries in having participated in bar games and contests
Most Indians like to go to beach with their spouse or group of friends!
-- Travel partners at the most recent beach vacation in include spouse/partner (59%), friends (47%) and parents (23%)
-- India leads all countries surveyed, with 47% of Indian beachgoers having travelled with their friends
-- 49% men & 42% women in India travel with their friends
-- India (23%) and Brazil (24%) have the highest number of beachgoers globally travelling with their parents
Indians prefer Asian and North American beaches
-- Highest preference for APAC beaches (49%), followed by North America(21%), Australia at (8%), Africa (5%), South America (mostly Brazil at 3%) and Europe 1%
-- Most popular APAC beach destinations for Indians include Goa (22%), Thailand (7%), Maldives(5%), Other beaches in India (2%), Bali (1%) and Malaysia (1%)
-- Coveted beach destinations in North America include: Florida (12%, mostly Miami), Hawaii (3%), Caribbean (2%), California (2%)
Survey Methodology
This survey was conducted online by Harris Interactive on behalf of Expedia.com from February 14 - March 21, 2012 among 8,599 adults, 18 and older, in the following countries: the United States (501), Canada (1,249), Mexico (400), Argentina (312), Brazil (308), United Kingdom (402), Germany (423), France (414), Italy (437), Spain (418), Norway (300), Sweden (300), Denmark (300), Ireland (300), Netherlands (300), Japan (429), India (438), South Korea (346), Singapore (321), Australia (400), and New Zealand (301). This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.
About AirAsiaExpedia
AirAsiaExpedia is the joint venture company between the world's leading online travel company, Expedia Inc. and the world's best low cost airline, AirAsia. Headquartered in Singapore, AirAsiaExpedia operates Expedia's businesses in India, Japan, Southeast Asia and East Asian markets and the AirAsiaGo.com business across Asia. In India, AirAsiaExpedia operates Expedia.co.in, a full service business helping Indian travellers plan and book their travel by offering them a comprehensive inventory of hotel accommodation, flights and tourist attractions from across the world. Its comprehensive inventory features more than 149,000 hotels, 438 flights and 5, 000 holiday activities and attractions from across the world.
With products like 'Build your trip' consumers not only have the freedom to create their own packages but also receive the best discounts on creating packages from Expedia's inventory of hotels, travel activities and car. Expedia currently operates localized websites across 27 points of sale in India, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, US, Canada, France, Italy, Austria, Denmark, Germany, Belgium, Ireland, The Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, UK, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Switzerland, South Korea, Brazil, Indonesia, Thailand and Mexico.
CONTACT DETAILS
Beedisha Chakrabarti, Text 100, +91 9899003192
Swati Guwalani, Text 100, +91 9873220117
Saba Sinha, Text 100, +91 9810976439
KEYWORDS
CONSUMER, LIFESTYLE, TOURISM, BUSINESS SERVICES, IT, TRAVEL, TECHNOLOGY
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