OYO has conducted a consumer survey to study travel intent and expectations among its user base across some of its core markets, including India; bringing to you OYO’s fourth year-end annual index – ‘OYO Travelopedia 2021’.

From workcations dominating 2021, to exploring domestic offbeat destinations, to doom scrolling on Instagram and travelling more in 2022, the report maps how consumers travelled in 2021 and their resolutions for 2022.

According to OYO Travelopedia, nearly 65% of respondents have travelled in the past 6 months and a majority of them visited their loved ones. Some also needed a getaway from their daily routines and travelled for leisure. A few had to keep the economy going and they travelled for business needs.

India is a resilient country – and with mass vaccination drives, travel intent and confidence is back! 60% of respondents have planned vacations for the winter holiday season. However, most seem to plan their trip closer to the date. Nearly 31% said they plan their trips a month in advance, whereas 26% prefer planning their travel only a week in advance. This is a stark contrast from pre-COVID days.

What’s more?

• As per data from Sensor Tower, among travel mobile application, OYO users spent 3,232 years’ worth of time on the OYO app in India – the highest in India in FY2021
• Subah-Sham. Quite literally. The most popular time to make bookings on the OYO app were 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM and evening 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
• Fan alert: A travel agent from India made 1193 bookings for an OYO in 2021
• OYO’s biggest booking was by a user from Delhi who booked an OYO for 36 people for 72 nights

Hills, beaches, off the beaten track

The hills vs beach choice is still balanced with 35% of respondents preferring a trip to mountainous regions, whereas 24% prefer beach destinations. But the highest takers at 53% said they are very likely to explore offbeat domestic destinations. Roadtrips still continue to be a big hit among Indians. Over half the respondents said they would travel by private or rental cars, 35% said they were just as fine to hop on a bus or a train, and a mere 14% were happy to take a flight.  Hotels were the top choice of accommodation among users, with approx. 60% opting for it, followed by a preference for resorts and waterfront properties by a lakeside, river or beach.

And it’s almost time to ring in 2022! So how does India plan to celebrate? India seems to be on the fence about this one. While 44% said they would, without a hitch, enjoy the new year with family and friends, another 44% said they would love to travel with family and friends.

Whatever India does, one thing’s for sure, it’s going to be with ‘family & friends’. Well, we’re truly and proudly a collectivist society, aren’t we? Hell yes! But hey, around 9% Indians also opted to go #solo and travel – a soul searching this New Years.

Workcation: Work, travel, repeat

2020 changed the world. And 2021 was all about adapting and making up for lost vacations while working remotely. According to OYO Travelopedia 2021, nearly 48% Indians worked from home during the year, out of which a whopping 85% preferred taking workcations or working away from home in a scenic location. And out of these, 61% took a workcation. What’s more interesting? Nearly 27% took a month-long workcation. Hill stations ranked top on the list of spots for these Work x Travel trips, followed by many who visited their hometowns and beach destinations. Kudos to 2021, the year of digital nomads!

Turns out 54% of Indians were guilty as charged. Nearly 50% of Indians said they turned to social media platforms to seek inspiration for their next trip, with over 52% claiming Instagram as their top choice, followed by Facebook and YouTube. 35% were old-school and continued seeking inspiration from their family and friends.

And with New Years, come New Year RESOLUTIONS. OYO asked respondents about their new year resolutions around travel. And here’s what the company discovered.

With nearly 30% votes, India’s top resolution is to travel more in 2022, followed by 18% who would love to try to visit their family and friends who they haven’t been able to meet due to travel restrictions. Another 18% would love to try and explore a new destination every few months. 15% also said they would like to invest in travel by opening a savings account solely for travelling purposes. Other top resolutions included travelling solo, using up all annual leaves, taking international trips and eco-conscious travel. 32% of Indians said they will try to take a vacation atleast twice a year.

Another 20% aim to go atleast once a year, and on the other hand, 22% travellers (who are truly ambitious) would like to hop on the wanderlust bus atleast once a month. Oh wait. Did we forget to mention that 6% would like to be on vacation for 365 days in 2022? Sounds like a plan!