Indians are impulsive travellers. For them, impulse takes over the itinerary. And they like to brag. There is always a conscious attempt to blend rather than be a fleeting observer. Tearing themselves away from the regular destinations, Indian travellers are discovering the less known and the unseen. From travel choices like postcard-perfect white powder sand beaches of Boracay Island in the Philippines to the greatest of historical mysteries of the pyramids of Egypt, from the panorama of Pangong Tso to the parched savannah of Africa, from the idyllic islands of the Caribbean to Ecuador, the Indian traveller is willing to redefine travel. Despite the uncertain political and economic situation in Europe and around the world, the travel industry for this year is likely to remain good. ITB World Travel Trends Report 2011/2012 prepared by IPK International, a leading world travel monitor company on behalf of ITB Berlin says, ‘‘In economic uncertainty, luxury travel has emerged a resilient market. ‘The brag factor’ fuels demand for travel and we’ve seen a growth upward of 25 per cent for our luxury brand-Indulgence,’’ says the MD, Thomas Cook, Madhavan Menon. He adds, ‘‘The depreciating rupee has resulted in a new and welcome interest in domestic tourism. This has given domestic travel an impetus.’’
Indeed, Asia Pacific is home to more wealthy people than all of Europe, according to the 2011 World Wealth Report from Capgemini and Merrill Lynch Global Wealth Management. Indians are among the top 10 spenders on hotels in the world. Taking into consideration the rising purchasing power of Indian travellers, a number of countries like Spain, Ireland, South Korea, Macau, Poland and others, have opened tourist offices in the country. With things closer home changing at the speed of light, people in India are looking for newer locations and want to be the first to talk about their discoveries. Everything from spa escapades to shopping destinations excites them.
Indian travellers like to flirt over a holiday. Some look for playful flirting and others look for love and even long term relationships. Indian’s rank themselves as ‘flirt champions’ according to Kuoni’s travel report. More than a third (32%) of Indians hope for some holiday romance and those aged 25-35 are most likely (34%) to feel this way. People in a relationship without children (42%) are particularly inclined to hope for a romantic holiday. Men are more likely than women to hope for romance (33% vs 30%) and are also more inclined to seek a relationship (31% vs 22%). Both men and women share an equal desire for love. So whether you are looking at finding love or evading an existing one, the top travel destinations for this year, will excite and inspire you. Topping the charts is one of the most romantic destination the world — Switzerland, followed by Singapore, France, Italy, Australia, UK, Maldives, New Zealand, Dubai and South Africa.