Domestic travel in India rebounds! Over 92 per cent travel bookings not cancelled in February

Indian travellers continued to travel and book hotels even with rising cases, a recent RateGain study has found. The month of February witnessed higher check-ins compared to last year. Also, 90 per cent of the travel bookings were received in a short window of 15 days.

Sharing its latest insights related to the travel and hospitality segment in the 3rd edition of PULSE, RateGain indicates that Indian cities remain a favourite with travellers, with Udaipur witnessing the highest amount of engagement on Facebook, though a little behind Mumbai which ranks higher consistently due to its share of celebrities and influencers that drive engagement for hotels.

Notably, Pune and Jaipur were ranked third and fourth on Instagram though they lagged behind New Delhi on Facebook. Last minute travel has been attributed as a probable reason for the same especially for the age group of 25-40.

Domestic travel: Increase in February check-ins

Across states, RateGain indicates a significant increase in February check-ins everywhere despite COVID-19 cases increase in states such as Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The bookings for March seem lower. However, this may be due to the fact that the average booking window has shrunk considerably since the pandemic, and trends indicate that Indian travelers book domestic trips only one to two weeks before.

Also, the cancellation rate stayed at 8% for the month of February, which also means that most bookings were made for the month in a short booking window. Over 92 per cent travel bookings were thus not cancelled.

Domestic travel dips in March

A key reason for the slight dip in March can be attributed to the reopening of schools across states and exams being held as well. It is expected that with mass and rapid vaccination underway, the travel pattern is set to pick up towards the end of March as Holi and Good Friday come in the same week and most families look to enjoy a quick getaway before summer sets in.

RateGain, which supports over 250,000 hotel properties across the globe and powering more than 30 million bookings, has the distinction of being the only travel tech company to be featured four times on Deloitte Technology Fast 50 List and had been recently recognized by none other than the UNWTO for its services.