While hotel reservations and transport bookings across flights, rail, buses, and taxis have shown significant digital skew in India, holiday package bookings are still primarily done over the phone or in person, said a new study. It added that despite a range of online players offering online holiday bookings, Indian tourists have not shown the enthusiasm for these online services to the extent shown for other industries and even for transport services.
In a bid to understand the reasons that discourage people from booking holidays online in India, Alike, a social travel marketplace, conducted a survey across its official social media channels and online travel communities, where over 120 respondents participated. This survey aimed to uncover the key reasons that put-off people from booking their holidays online.
Key findings of the survey;
The survey findings revealed that 40% of respondents found the information on destinations, accommodations, or prices to be misleading, which erodes trust in online holiday brands.
A further 26% of respondents were put-off by a previous experience of subpar customer service during travel planning, that left them feeling unheard and unsupported.
The report also highlighted that 21% of respondents expressed frustration with the time-consuming process of hunting for the best deals tailored to their preferences. This arduous task of sifting through numerous options often leads to hours spent comparing choices.
And the final 12% respondents noted the absence of personalised recommendations and travel options, which resulted in a feeling of robotic treatment with one size fits all, cookie-cutter options presented on the online holiday booking platforms.
Misleading promotion
From hidden fees and misleading promotions to lack of customer support, the online travel industry faces a pressing challenge: restoring faith in a medium that was designed to simplify and enhance the travel experience.
Ashish Sidhra, co-founder, Alike, said, “The Indian consumer is used to benchmark digital experiences in their daily life, and it is high time they are served with similar quality of service in online holiday bookings as well.”
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