Middle-aged holidaymakers game for authentic travel experiences: Survey

A recent survey by Yatra.com on how Indians holiday, available exclusively to ET, shows that 40 is the new 30 when it comes to travelling. Here’s a look at how vacation activities stack up and the top three ones for individual travellers.

By SUSHMITA CHOUDHURY AGARWAL, ET Bureau | Updated: Jul 23, 2012, 09.23 AM IST

The popular perception is that Indians are the most cautious of holiday-makers. That it is the 20-somethings who experiment with destinations and soak in the local flavour.

That the legendary tendency to hunt for bargains means restricting the sampling of local cuisine to street food.

Perhaps such notions were true earlier, but no longer. This is highlighted by a recent Yatra.com survey, which has tried to understand the psyche and needs of Indian travellers.

The most interesting finding is that it is the middle-aged holidaymaker, typically with young kids, who is game for authentic travel experiences. Here’s a look at how vacation activities stack up and the top three ones for individual travellers.

What the youth enjoy

While the 21-30 year age group predictably has the most voters for adventure sports and trekking among all the categories surveyed, the numbers are minuscule.

Getting photographed at the right tourist spots is clearly more important to this category than experiencing the local culture. Only 4% voted for ‘getting lost in the local crowds and streets’ compared with 41% for sightseeing.

Money-saving tip: Sightseeing is the favoured holiday activity for this group and one of the best ways to do it is by taking a walking tour, especially those led by local college students. Not only will you get to interact with people of your own age group, but also save a bundle.

Family favourites

Given the rise of yuppies (31-40 years), you’d think retail therapy would win over spiritual salvation for this age group. Not so. Just 8% of the respondents listed shopping as their preferred activity compared with 12% who wanted to visit holy places. Of course, entertaining the kids by showing them the sights is the topmost priority for parents.

Money-saving tip: To bag a good exchange rate, make sure you convert the currency at the outset. The worst thing to do is to go to forex dealers in tourist hotspots and shopping areas because you are sure to get a poor deal.

The exploratory generation

Surprisingly, local food and experiences appeal much more to people in the age group of 41-50 years compared with those in the 21-30 bracket, which is considered to be the experimentative generation.

This age group was all for visiting historical places, leaving pursuits like shopping, going to holy places, trekking and trying the local flavour, far behind.

Time-saving tip: Be prepared for a new time zone. If night has fallen at your destination when you step into the plane, pass the in-flight meal and movie, and opt for a snooze. You’ll wake up with the locals, instead of wasting precious holiday time on jet lag.

Older, but adventurous

In a surprising revelation, the 51-60 year age group does not want to bask in the sun and read a book while on a vacation. A whopping 60% wanted to go sightseeing, compared with just 18% who voted for relaxation. Equally shocking is the fact that this group rates trekking higher than sampling local charms and shopping.

Money-saving tip: It is an established fact that greycations, or holidays taken by the elderly, are on the rise. One way to bag cheap deals, that is, bulk discounts, on travel as well as stay is to take a multi-generational vacation.

Top three preferences

While eating out, Indians prefer to sample local cuisine in good restaurants instead of saving money by eating street food. While Indians are slowly becoming more experimentative with their cuisines, the 21-30 year age group is shockingly staid: 38% want Indian food while travelling, nearly at par with the palate choices of the 51-60 year age group.

Money-saving tip: While vacationing abroad, check local newspapers for buffet deals and lunch promotions at restaurants. As dinners are more expensive at most places, try a heat-and-eat meals instead.

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