June 8, 2018 TnH Global 1

Hotels.com unveils favorite Monsoon Destinations for 2018

Monsoons usher in the much needed respite from sultry Indian summers. While travel during monsoons was long viewed as challenging, Indian travelers are seen stepping up to the challenge -albeit in different ways. Some escape the monsoons by travelling to interesting foreign locales and others make the most of the monsoons by exploring destinations in their home country.

Though traditionally not considered a preferred travel period, monsoon travel has significantly grown in popularity and now has a permanent place in the annual tourism calendar. As the monsoon winds make their presence felt, Hotels.com reveals the top destinations Indians are jetting off to.

Hotels.com analyzed the hotel searches made by its rapidly growing Indian consumer base for the period of July 2018 to August 2018 –India’s 2018 monsoon travel hotlist has been developed based on this. The list calls out the top 10 international and domestic destinations on the Indian travelers’ monsoon bucket-list.

Top 10 Most Searched International Destinations for Indian Travelers during the Monsoon Season (July 2018 – August 2018)

Rank	Top International Destinations
1	Bali
2	London
3	Paris
4	Singapore
5	Pattaya
6	New York
7	Dubai
8	Bangkok
9	Santorini
10	Amsterdam

Rank	Top Growing International Destinations	YoY (2018 vs 2017)
1	Phuket	89%
2	Edinburgh	72%
3	Moscow	52%
4	Florence	6%
5	Mykonos	6%

The top international destinations feature the immensely popular London-Paris-New York trinity. These regularly frequented, high fashion destinations continue to catch the fancy of Indians. This interest can additionally be attributed to the vast number of Bollywood movies shot in these destinations. Queen bought Paris back to the limelight, while English Vinglish brought to life the beautiful neighborhoods of New York.

On the short-haul front – Bali, Singapore, Pattaya, Dubai and Bangkok steal the thunder. The fact that there are 5 short-haul Asia Pacific destinations on the top 10 list only corroborates the growing trend of travelers preferring to take short but multiple holidays in a year.

The top growing destinations bring to light some refreshingly new locations like Florence, Mykonos and Legian –showing that Indians are steadily moving away from the tried-and-tested holidays and are hungry to explore fresh destinations offering new, unique experiences.

Top 10 Most Searched Domestic Destinations for Indian Travelers during the Monsoon Season (July 2018 – August 2018)

Rank	Top Domestic Destinations
1	Calangute
2	Mumbai
3	New Delhi
4	Candolim
5	Udaipur
6	Thiruvananthapuram
7	Munnar
8	Jaipur
9	Srinagar
10	Leh

Rank	Top Growing Domestic Destinations	YoY (2018 vs 2017)
1	Colva	156%
2	Arpora	123%
3	Dona Paula	105%
4	Amritsar	102%
5	Bengaluru	90%

The small yet scenic state of Goa is the uncontested winner in the top growth destinations category. Colva, Arpora, Dona Paula and Cansaulim see a staggering 156%, 153%, 105% and 57% increase in searches (respectively) vis-à-vis 2017. Goa, best known for its beautiful beaches and laid-back vibe, is a huge hit especially amongst the younger Indian traveler segment. Calangute and Candolim have also emerged as the top searched domestic destinations for the upcoming monsoon season in Goa.

It is interesting to note that metropolitan cities of Mumbai and Delhi have surpassed several traditionally popular domestic tourist destinations to clock into the top three on the list. This corroborates the growing trend of staycations. There has been a rise in staycation travel in India over the last couple of years. Themed around the concept of ‘staying in’, staycations are especially gaining popularity amongst millennials who often find it difficult to travel long distances due to hectic lifestyles and busy work schedules. The states of Rajasthan, Kerala and Jammu & Kashmir are also popular for monsoon travel, with each having two cities feature on the top domestic destinations list.

Jessica Chuang, Hotels.com Director, Regional Marketing Greater China, SEA and India said, “At Hotels.com, we take pride in our diverse offerings and ensure that we keep a tab on the pulse of Indian travelers going abroad or traveling within the country. We are delighted to present the 2018 monsoon travel hot list for Indian travelers. Monsoon travel is now a permanent feature in the annual travel calendar, especially amongst young working professionals and millennials. The 2018version of the list reveals significant insights about Indian travelers – especially how Bollywood plays a major role in influencing destination choices and the growing preference to explore newer and quaint locales.”