Talking about the lesser-known top trending destinations, places such as Athirappilly (Kerala), Somvarpet (Karnataka), and Gulmarg (Kashmir) topped the charts for Indian travellers, while Indians dreamed of travel possibilities to Dubai and Maldives as they were the top searched international destinations. Booking.com has also witnessed increased appetite for alternative accommodations, as choices for resorts, guesthouses and homestays were favoured by Indian travellers, in addition to hotels.
Travel trends during Christmas (top searched destinations from 2 November 2020 to 29 November 2020 that had check-in dates between December 24th and December 27th):
| Sr. No. | Top searched destinations by Indian travellers travelling domestically during Christmas | Top trending destinations for Indian travellers travelling domestically during Christmas |
| 1 | Lonavala | Kaliel (Tamil Nadu) |
| 2 | Mahabaleshwar | Athirappilly (Kerala) |
| 3 | Goa | Somvarpet (Karnataka) |
| 4 | Udaipur | Gulmarg (Jammu & Kashmir) |
| 5 | Alibaug | Raichak (West Bengal) |
Travel trends during New Year (top searched destinations from 2 November 2020 to 29 November 2020 that had check-in dates between the 30th of December and the 3rd of January):
| Sr. No. | Top searched destinations by Indian travellers within India during New Year | Top trending destinations by Indian travellers within India during New Year |
| 1 | Lonavala | Athirappilly (Kerala) |
| 2 | Goa | Somvarpet (Karnataka) |
| 3 | Mahabaleshwar | Gulmarg (Jammu & Kashmir) |
| 4 | Alibaug | Siddapur (Karnataka) |
| 5 | Udaipur | Vythiri (Kerala) |
Top booked accommodation types by Indian travellers travelling within India during Christmas and New Year’s (between December 24, 2020 and January 3, 2021)
- Hotel
- Resort
- Guesthouse
- Homestay
- Hostel
Commenting on the year-end holiday season trends, Ritu Mehrotra, Country Manager, India, Sri Lanka and Maldives at Booking.com said, “2020 has been a difficult year, especially for travel which was one of the most impacted industries. However, it is heartening to see travel optimism amongst Indians who are still enthusiastic about travel and have demonstrated the same by booking and searching for destinations and accommodations on our platform. As we gradually evolve from the pandemic, Booking.com will continue to offer amazing experiences through diverse accommodation choices across destinations to make it easier for everyone to experience the world, as it becomes safe to do so again.”
