New Delhi: People in India seem to have overcome the anxieties of the pandemic and are looking forward to a year of regularity, according to a randomized online survey of over 9000 customers of online bus ticketing platform redBus.
The survey reveals intent for higher frequency of travel over the next 3-6 months, with 48 per cent of the respondents seeking to travel at least once a month after 3-6 months, taking the travel intent back to pre-Covid levels when it was around 47 per cent.
Hill stations are where people in India will be travelling this year for leisure, followed by beaches, with 46 per cent of the respondents opting for the mountains and 28 per cent to the sea shores.
When it comes to religious travel, Tirupati (26 per cent) and Shirdi (12 per cent) are the most popular pilgrimage destinations followed by Madurai, Nashik and Varanasi.
With intercity travel gradually inching back to its pre-Covid levels, the most important factors for outstation travel apart from safety/hygiene, turned out to be: Having a comfortable journey; Reliable schedules and punctuality; and Travel cost.
Comfortable journey, hygiene/sanitization and punctuality/reliable schedule turned out to be the most important factors for outstation travel by the respondents. 'Convenience' and 'choice of seat' are the main advantages of booking online as per the respondents.
A behavioural shift that has been evident in the recent times is the preference for online bus booking. This was evident in the survey with 95 per cent of respondents mentioning that they would prefer to book their bus tickets online now.
Air-conditioned buses are also making a comeback with their preference levels going up to 50 per cent compared to 39 per cent as per a similar survey done earlier in June 2020.
According to Prakash Sangam, CEO, redBus,"Results from this survey have not only provided a unique insight into the bubbling demand for travel in India, but also reaffirmed the notion that the industry's strong comeback is set to move into a higher gear in the months ahead. We are thrilled that a majority of the people now prefer to book bus tickets online, which further strengthens our position, as travellers take advantage and stick to the habit of transacting online from the comfort of their homes."
(Siddhi Jain/IANS)