Indian travelers fall in love with Stepantsminda in Georgia, Shahdag and Baku in Azerbaijan. Here’s why | Travel

In 2024, Southeast Asian destinations have emerged as the top destinations for travelers, and affordable travel and payment innovations played an important role in growth this year.

According to a report from Cleartrip, adoption of affordable travel options doubled among Generation Z and seniors, reflecting the increasing inclusivity of travel offerings. Additionally, flexible travel payment options gained significant traction, with a 1.4x higher adoption rate among Generation Z.

“Thanks to relaxed visa and travel guidelines, Southeast Asian destinations have become the most popular destinations for travelers. This year also saw a rise in adoption of affordable travel options, particularly among GenZ and senior citizens, as well as an increase in flexible travel payment methods,” Anuj Rathi, Chief Business and Growth Officer, Cleartrip, told PTI.

Southeast Asia continues to dominate as a popular travel destination, largely due to visa-free policies that make international travel easier, the report said.

Notably, bookings to Denpasar (Bali) increased by 73 percent compared to 2023, driven by Indigo’s launch of direct flights from Bengaluru to Bali, making the destination more accessible to Indian travelers.

Other international destinations also recorded significant growth, including Tbilisi (27 percent), Tashkent (100 percent), Almaty (73 percent), Da Nang (60 percent) and Baku (133 percent), it said.

Domestically, beach and island destinations emerged as new favorites in 2024.

Bookings for Agatti Island in Lakshadweep increased by 94 per cent, while Diu recorded an incredible growth of 130 per cent, helped by the introduction of direct flights, with Indigo connecting Bengaluru to Agatti and FLY91 Goa to Diu.

Meanwhile, data from Booking.com revealed that travel in 2024 represented an interesting mix of exploring local and global destinations.

Goa became the most searched destination in 2024, registering a 200 percent year-on-year increase in flight searches.

Indian travelers also welcomed cultural and spiritual exploration of Amritsar, for example, seeing a 106 percent increase in searches compared to 2023.

Globally popular destinations such as Abu Dhabi, Kuala Lumpur, Melbourne, London and Bangkok remained popular options, with flight searches recording a 90 to 150 percent increase year-on-year, it said.

The ease of travel has made offbeat destinations that were once not on travelers’ radars become popular options, such as: B. Shahdag in Azerbaijan, which became the most searched international destination for accommodation searches in 2024.

With Indian travelers looking for new experiences, unexplored international destinations such as Stepantsminda (212 percent), Baku (203 percent) and Tromso (185 percent) also emerged as popular choices, the global digital travel company said.

Domestic travelers are looking for authentic experiences, with destinations such as Perumbakkam, Pangala and Tekkumuri becoming increasingly popular, it said.

The most searched attractions on Booking.com in 2024 included iconic Indian experiences such as the Taj Mahal Private Car Tour from Delhi and the Old Delhi Food and Heritage Walk.

With sustainable travel on the rise, the e-bike experience on Divar Island in Old Goa was also among the top 3 most searched attractions in 2024.

“As destinations like Shahdag and Baku in Azerbaijan or Gudauri in Georgia become more popular, we are seeing a shift towards offbeat adventures. Improved connectivity, infrastructure and better visa requirements are making travel more accessible, convenient and exciting for everyone,” Booking.com Santosh Kumar, Country Manager for India, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Indonesia, added.