Goa is India’s most popular monsoon travel destination: Survey

Mumbai, June 15 (IANS) Goa is the most popular choice for a monsoon getaway among Indian travellers, while they stick to Bali for an international short-haul trip, according to a survey.

The survey, conducted by online accommodation booking website Hotels.com, analysed data on hotel searches made by users.

The searches were conducted for stays during the period of June to September 2017, which became the foundation to develop the India 'Monsoon Travel Hotlist' for this year, read a statement.

The data reveals Goa to be the most popular destination this monsoon, with four of its towns - Candolim (which was the most popular), Calangute, Arpora and Baga making it to the top 10.

The village of Arpora in Goa registered a massive 91 per cent increase in hotel searches in comparison to 2016.

Mumbai found second spot in the list with 49 per cent increase in searches as compared to 2016. It was followed by Delhi at 50 per cent increase in searches. Other places mentioned in the list include Udaipur, Bengaluru and Jaipur.

Jessica Chuang, Hotels.com Director, Regional Marketing Greater China, South East Asia and India, said: "The 2017 Monsoon Travel Hotlist reveals significant insights about Indian travellers' especially, their preference for quick, mini-vacations and a renewed interest in exploring their home country which is visible through the increased searches for domestic destinations in comparison to international ones."

The preference for quick getaways was also reflected in international destinations with most searched destinations for short-haul trips to Bali, Singapore, Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya and Dubai catching the traveller's fancy.