India is one of the top tourist destinations in Asia, according to findings from a CNN global travel survey. The results also position the country as the region's fourth fastest growing tourist destination and the third most attractive business for investment opportunities, after China and Hong Kong, a release stated.
One-fifth of CNN's audience of global travellers considering a visit to Asia Pacific would consider visiting India in the 12 months and one of the reasons may be the country's culture. The destination fended off competition from Japan and Thailand to rank as the destination in the region with the second richest "culture and heritage" destination, with only China scoring higher in this category.
The study, entitled 'CNN Consumer Connect – Travel and Tourism 2013', looks at consumer travel trends, perceptions and behaviour. It polled more than 3,000 readers from over 70 countries, including 25 Asia Pacific destinations.
Among other things, the survey concluded that 2.2 times as many travellers intend to spend more on vacations in 2013 as those planning to spend less (38 per cent vs. 17 per cent), and 58 per cent have booked entire holidays online. Destination-specific websites lead the way as a source of travel information, with travel content websites a close second.
Seventy-three per cent of the respondents said they are willing to take a long-haul flight for their holiday, while 72 per cent said they would enjoy visiting more than one country on their vacation. Fifty-one per cent of respondents have specific Asia-Pacific destinations on their wish list for travel in the next 12 months, the survey found.
Duncan Morris, Vice President of Research, Turner International Asia Pacific, said, "These results are great news for India and the Asia-Pacific region as a whole. CNN consumers are discerning, affluent global travelers and they clearly indicate a desire to visit this part of the world to enjoy a particular brand of hospitality, food, culture – everything that makes a travel experience distinctive. At a time where money in the household is perceived to be tighter, spending on travel is still obviously a priority for many."
Source: Travel Biz Monitor
