Covid pandemic: India ranks 2nd globally in avoiding travel destination due to safety concerns, 2021 to be year of road trips, says survey

India ranks second globally, after Thailand in avoiding travel destinations due to safety concerns as the Coronavirus pandemic has adversely impacted our daily lives. Around 86 per cent Indian travelers are planning to take more health and safety-related precautions when traveling in the future and 71 per cent Indians opting to avoid certain destinations altogether due to safety concerns, according to a survey.

The survey conducted by Booking.com has revealed key details about how the prevalent Coronavirus pandemic is introducing a new era of “safety first” travellers. The survey found out 71 per cent Indians will avoid certain destinations altogether due to safety concerns, 78 per cent Indians are happy to travel to destinations where health spot checks on arrival are standard, 81 per cent Indians don’t mind travelling to a destination where it’s mandatory to wear a face mask in public, 77 per cent of Indian travellers will only book a particular accommodation if it’s clear what health and hygiene policies it has in place, with 79 per cent favoring accommodations that have antibacterial and sanitizing products. Travellers will look to the travel industry for reassurance with 75 per cent Indians expecting travel providers to clearly outline the safety precautions they are taking, the Booking.com survey has shown.

2021 will be the year of the road trip

With a shift in destination preferences, transportation preferences have also changed. Around 68 per cent of Indians are likely to give public transportation a miss to avoid travelling with a large number of people due to the fear of contracting COVID-19. This is higher than the global average of 46 per cent. Instead, travellers will choose to rent or drive their own car to and around their destination.

Booking.com conducted the survey among a sample of adults who have travelled for business or leisure in the past 12 months, and are planning to travel in the next 12 months. In total 20,934 respondents across 28 countries and territories were polled. Among the total respondents, 997 were from India, 999 from the U.S, 496 from Canada, 497 from Mexico, 997 from Colombia, 999 from Brazil, 499 from Argentina, 995 from Australia, 499 from New Zealand, 999 from Spain, 996 from Italy, 996 from France, 999 from UK, 996 from Germany, 498 from Netherlands, 499 from Denmark, 499 from Sweden, 498 from Croatia, 1001 from Russia, 498 from Israel, 994 from China, 499 from Hong Kong, 497 from Thailand, 496 from Singapore, 499 from Taiwan, 997 from South Korea, 500 from Vietnam and 995 from Japan. Respondents completed the online survey in July, 2020.