Indians are preferring quick getaways from major cities to quieter towns as they seek to escape the monotony of commuting in concrete jungles.
A report by travel booking site Cleartrip said places such as Kolhapur, Neemrana and Vellore, all of which a short drive away from bigger cities with working professionals, have fast gained in popularity. They chose longer weekends to book more trips and hotel stays. However, travellers returned to major cities during New Year's eve, perhaps because of more options to celebrate with friends.
Travel bookings almost doubled over last year, with 46 percent of business users booking on mobile devices, most of which were Android phones or tablets. That is not surprising given the dominance of Android in India over the more expensive Apple devices.
Among leisure travellers, 41 percent booked on mobile devices. Among destinations abroad, traditional favourite Bangkok is losing out to newer locations such as New York, Jakarta and Chiang Mai, Thailand. That also shows travellers are spending more, and willing to fly to farther locations for new experiences.