From Goa to Dubai; here are top destinations for summer travel

In the dynamic landscape of travel preferences for the summer 2024, India’s search and booking trends unveil a fascinating trend of domestic and international destinations capturing the imagination of travellers. Goa emerges as the reigning champion among domestic destinations, while Dubai retains its crown as the most sought-after international hotspot, according to the latest data analysis.

Domestic Destinations

Goa continues to reign supreme as the most searched domestic destination, accounting for a significant share of travel inquiries. Noteworthy is the surge in interest for Srinagar and Udaipur, showcasing the highest growth rates in search volumes compared to the same period last year. Puri and Varanasi emerge as top pilgrimage spots capturing traveller interest, with Ayodhya recording a notable uptick in search volumes.

International escapes

On the global front, Dubai remains the undisputed leader in international searches. Bangkok and Singapore follow suit, maintaining their positions as preferred destinations among Indian travellers.

However, the spotlight shines on emerging international destinations experiencing a surge in interest, with Baku, Almaty, and Nagoya leading the pack. Though not part of the Top 20 list, noteworthy mentions include Luxembourg, Langkawi, and Antalya, showcasing a burgeoning interest among travellers seeking unique and offbeat experiences.

Rising Travel segments

The summer of 2024 witnesses a notable rise in family travel, with a 20% increase compared to the previous year. Solo travel also sees a commendable uptick of 10%, underscoring the evolving preferences of modern-day travellers.

“Summer is always one of the biggest quarters of the year in terms of travel intent, and this year too, the buoyancy in the sector continues. We are observing a healthy growth in searches over those recorded last year at this time. India is a large country, and summer leisure travel begins with the Southern region where the holiday season arrives early, followed by the West, and then finally the North. We haven’t observed any change in trend this year as well. Additionally, we have observed a surge in traffic and bookings on redBus during the elections dates as people prioritise to visit their hometowns to cast votes,” says Rajesh Magow, co-founder & group CEO, MakeMyTrip.

In March, SpiceJet finalised lease agreements for 10 aircraft as part of its efforts to increase capacity ahead of the upcoming summer schedule. The Ajay Singh-led airline stated that SpiceJet was committed to offering seamless connectivity and improved services to its passengers during peak travel seasons. The airline mentioned that the additional aircraft would allow it to meet the increasing demand for air travel, particularly during busy summer months. SpiceJet had reportedly received three airframes as part of recent settlement agreements. The airline claimed that these settlements with key aircraft lessors had also resulted in savings of ₹685 Crore for the airline.

IndiGo, India's largest air carrier, also introduced six new routes w.e.f. March 31, 2024. The airline operated between Ahmedabad-Rajkot, Ahmedabad-Aurangabad, Bhopal-Lucknow, and Indore-Varanasi from March 31. Additionally, the airline announced direct flights between Kolkata-Srinagar and Kolkata-Jammu from April 10 and April 21, respectively. Flights between Kolkata and Jammu via Srinagar were also set to begin from April 10, 2024, according to the airline.

As per a CAPA report, domestic air passenger traffic was projected to have reached 860 million by 2030, thereby presenting a significant opportunity for economic growth.