Indians continue holidaying despite falling rupee: Survey

Mumbai, Jul 14: Undeterred by a falling rupee, more than 60 per cent travellers in the country are still eager for globe-trotting , according to a recent survey.

"More than 60 per cent of Indians are eager to travel and remain unaffected by the dip in rupee and continue to pursue their holiday plans," according to a survey by online travel portal Yatra.com.

The survey was conducted among 10,000 individuals from Yatra.com's customer base.

"The rupee weakening has not really had an adverse impact on Indian travellers as most of them are unfazed and continue to make holiday plans. Savvy Indian traveller's book well in advance these days and, hence, are confident about getting good deals within their budget," Yatra.com President Sharat Dhall said.

The drop in oil prices has resulted in lower flight prices this year and a plethora of hotel deals has also helped in driving down the overall cost of an international break, he added.

Also, he said, most travellers are optimistic of the rupee strengthening and are very confident that the fluctuation will not wreck their holiday plans.

The survey revealed that 49 per cent of respondents said they would definitely go on a holiday irrespective of the rupee fluctuation and not wait the currency to strengthen.

While 18 per cent feel they will not wait for the rupee to rise for going on a holiday, another 33 per cent said they will like to wait till the currency stabilises, it added.

Primarily because the rupee has remained steady against the euro, Europe has emerged as a destination choice for many, besides the South East Asian countries, it said.

These destinations were followed in popularity by the UK and the US. Only 24 per cent of the respondents chose to travel within India, while 27 per cent said the location would depend on the expenses involved, it said.

Further, it was found that sightseeing emerged as a favourite activity with almost 48 per cent of travellers planning to spend most of their money on it.

Around 35 per cent of the respondents are looking to compromise on air travel in terms of premium and economy seating followed by shopping when it comes to cutting cost or managing budgets for their holidays, the survey added.

PTI