Staycation gets popular with travel buffs post-lockdown

More families in the city are opting for a staycation, thanks to the pandemic situation, a survey by Thomas Cook has found.

Staycation is a vacation one takes in his hometown anywhere between an overnight stay to a week to enjoy the local area or simply to stay at a place. While the concept was lesser known until the pandemic, the demand for staycation has shot up post the lockdown.

Thomas Cook’s survey, revealed at a recent press conference, also revealed that 72% of people are willing to travel in 2021 itself.

“Customers in Bengaluru have been showcasing a growing travel appetite to explore new destinations after 18 months of being confined to their homes,” said Santosh Kanna, vice-president, Leisure Travel, Thomas Cook (India).

The survey, done on 1,000 people in the city, also revealed that 66% of them prefer travelling to international destinations, while 76% liked visiting domestic destinations. Nearly 55% enjoyed travelling with families, 26% like to travel with friends and colleagues, 20% as couples and 5% solo.

Some of the preferred international destinations include the Maldives, the UAE, Egypt, Russia and some European countries, while Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Andaman, Rajasthan and Goa are among the places inside the country chosen by travel enthusiasts.

At the press conference, Thomas Cook officials also revealed that Karnataka is among the top three domestic destinations chosen by outside travellers. The Mysuru, Coorg and Hampi belt is largely visited by both domestic and international tourists.