Picture used for illustrative purposes.

Dubai was the top international destination for travellers from India in the first half of 2023. Other cities in the list are: Bangkok, London, Singapore, Vung Tau (Vietnam), Kuala Lumpur, Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam), Paris and Hanoi. Top booked domestic destinations by Indian travellers in H1 of 2023 are: New Delhi, Jaipur, Bangalore, Rishikesh, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune, Manali and Gurgaon.

Visitors from the UAE were among the top tourists from overseas that visited India in the first half of the year 2023. Other countries were the UK, US and Russia. Booking.com, one of the largest online travel agencies in the world, headquartered in Amsterdam, has revealed the travel preferences of Indian and international voyagers travelling within and to India during the first half of 2023, according to Indo-Asian News Service.

The tourism sector experienced significant relief in 2023 as people eagerly embarked on travel extensively, both domestically and internationally. The most intriguing trend is that people are increasingly choosing to travel to metropolitan areas including New Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai, and Chennai, hill stations like Manali and Rishikesh, and places with a strong cultural heritage like Jaipur.

In addition, consumer behaviour is evolving with a greater emphasis on seeking out distinct, personalised and more memorable travel experiences. In the first half of 2023, along with hotels, alternative accommodation such as resort, guest house, homestay, hostel, apartments, villas etc. was a top attraction.

Commenting on the trends, Santosh Kumar, Country Manager for India, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Indonesia at Booking.com said: “Travel has undeniably become increasingly popular in recent years despite macroeconomic headwinds faced by the industry. It’s been heartwarming to see a significantly higher level of optimism for travel in 2023 compared to last year. This growing enthusiasm and unwavering desire to travel is further reflected in the choices made by explorers who are increasingly opting for alternative stays besides hotels."