OYO study reveals global Valentine’s Day travel trends

India

● From dream proposals during sunsets, favorite road trip music playlists and more; OYO’s Valentine’s Day global consumer survey reveals how the world is in love with travel this Valentine’s Day

● India’s dream proposal is one on a cruise during the sunset, whereas respondents from Germany would like to share this special moment during a picnic while sipping on champagne. Indonesia wants to say ‘I do’ on the beaches of Bali, whereas Americans would pop the question on Myrtle Beach

● 62% of respondents in India are looking to treat their loved ones to a quick getaway to a nearby destination

● In India, travelers are looking to spend the day by the beach in Goa, followed by the cozy hillside of Manali

● Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara is India’s favorite travel movie, 41% of respondents in India said they enjoy driving to the tunes of old Bollywood songs

New Delhi, 13th February 2022: Love is universal. And so is Wanderlust. Travel transcends all boundaries - irrespective of who you are, where you’re from and what you do, one thing’s for sure - people love to travel. After putting plans on hold for the past two years, people across the world are set to celebrate love on their own terms. This Valentine’s Day, to understand the world’s love for travel, global travel technology platform OYO rolled out the first edition of its global Valentine’s Day consumer index ‘Let Love In With Travel 2022’. This survey covers respondents across India, the UK, the USA, Indonesia, and Germany.

From India’s love for Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, Old Bollywood songs during road trips, sipping chai during sunrise, OYO’s report reveals interesting tidbits about the world’s love affair with travel.

INDIA

A third of the respondents surveyed have already made travel plans to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Out of these, nearly 62% of respondents are looking to treat their loved ones to a quick getaway to a nearby destination. This was followed by a preference for road trips to scenic destinations. On the other hand, those who wanted to keep V-Day a low-key affair want to stay indoors, order food and watch movies.

Travel is a huge part of bonding with your loved ones, be it a trip to Goa with friends, or heading to Manali with your folks. The world took this for granted until the pandemic pulled the brakes on travel plans. 2 out of 3 respondents said they appreciate vacations with loved ones more today than pre-pandemic days. Indian respondents don’t take their holidays for granted anymore. Nearly 38% said they travel to spend quality time and share meaningful experiences with loved ones. This was followed by 26% who take to traveling for a break from the routine, whereas another 25% said they love exploring new places and cultures. A whopping 84% also believe that travel strengthens their relationships with loved ones.

Every year, as the calendar turns to February, idyllic places take center stage in the imaginations of travelers around the world. OYO’s customer survey shows that the majority of respondents in India are looking to spend the day by the beach in Goa, followed by the cozy hillside of Manali. The survey further reveals that experience has become the center stage for all travel plans across the globe.

Here’s how travelers in India are set to #LetLoveIn with travel!

● ‘Love is in the air’ - which city around the world best defines this statement? Indian respondents voted for none other than the ‘City of Love’ itself - Paris, followed by Goa and Kolkata

● Without a surprise, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara is India’s favorite travel movie. Talk about classic spontaneous road trips making a comeback! Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani came in as a close second

● While on road trips, nearly 41% of Indian respondents said they enjoy driving to the tunes of old Bollywood songs. Indian Hip Hop or Punjabi music took the second spot on traveler’s road trip playlists

● Talk about sipping on your hot cup of chai while watching the sunrise. Yes, a majority of respondents said this was their go-to morning ritual while traveling. Indians also love going for an early morning walk or listening to music at the first sight of sunlight

● Gifting is the ultimate love language. So what do Indians buy their loved ones from their holiday? 32% would buy clothes or accessories, while 22% said they would grab some local specialties for their loved ones back home

● India’s top international wishlist for V-Day? With 28% each, India remains divided picking between Paris and Maldives. Switzerland takes the third spot

● How can we talk about Valentine’s Day without dream proposals? Well well, 31% said they would prefer the question to be popped on a cruise during sunset in Goa. 18% said they would say yes while enjoying snowfall at a homestay in Himachal Pradesh

GERMANY

In Germany, 1 in 2 respondents would love to spend Valentine’s Day by the beach. Out of all respondents, 70% preferred spending this day of love with their partners or spouse, followed by family. Similar to India, respondents in Germany also feel they appreciate traveling with loved ones more today compared to pre-pandemic days. When asked about which city describes the saying ‘Love is in the air’ the most, Germans voted for Paris (which also happens to be the country’s top travel wishlist for V-Day!), followed by Hamburg. With about 70% votes, 80s and 90s music tops the charts as Germany’s top travel playlist, followed by Rock & Roll music.

Sunrise and tea! What a combo, right? Nearly 71% of respondents in Germany love waking up to a hot cup of tea or coffee while watching the sunrise. Locally produced edibles or sweets make the perfect travel souvenirs for German respondents. On the other hand, approx. 41% said they would like to receive a journey, a road trip or travel plans as a gift on Valentine’s Day. Doesn’t a picnic with champagne sound like a setting for the perfect dream proposal? Nearly 1/4th of respondents do think it is! 24% would love this as their dream proposal.

INDONESIA

Indonesia, without a doubt, is a country that just loves to travel. Over half the respondents - 54% - are all up for traveling on Valentine’s Day. With 25% upvotes, beaches topped the charts as the most popular destination for Valentine’s Day. While India and Germany crown Paris as the city that best defines the saying ‘Love is in the air’, Indonesian respondents take pride in their local breath-taking diversity. For a majority of surveyed Indonesians, Bandung, a city set amid volcanoes and tea plantations, also fondly known as the ‘Paris of Java’ best fits the description ‘Love is in the air’. This is followed by Jogja, Jakarta and Bali.

Pop music emerged as Indonesia’s top music genre while traveling, followed by Indonesian and western classic songs. So, we have a consensus. No matter where you stay, watching the sunrise while sipping on tea and coffee is - hands down - the best morning ritual, while traveling for nearly 48% Indonesians, alongside Indians and Germans. 1 in 2 Indonesians would love to be gifted a vacation or a trip with their loved ones. Imagine your significant other popping the question ‘Will you marry me?’ on the beaches of Bali during the sunset? 36% of Indonesians said this is exactly what their dream proposal looked like. Some others said they would love to be proposed on a cold night in the tranquility of Lembang.

UK

A majority of the English said the best part about traveling is exploring new places. The English also said ‘80s power ballads’ is their top choice of music genre while traveling. English tea & sunrise. Yes, even in the UK teas with the sunrise top as the most loved morning ritual while traveling. Flowers and Chocolates take a backseat this Valentine’s Day. The British would rather go on a holiday together. Maldives has taken the top spot as the UK’s international travel wishlist this V-Day!

USA

American respondents are all set to celebrate Valentine’s Day soaking the sun at the beaches of Florida. ‘Spending quality time and sharing meaningful experiences with loved ones’ is America’s favorite reason to travel. About 10% of respondents associated Paris as the city that best defines ‘Love is in the air’. Paris is America’s top international wishlisted destination to celebrate Valentine’s Day. This was followed by Las Vegas, Rome and New York. When it comes to travel music, over 53% opted for Hip Hop music as their go-to playlist.

When it comes to vacation morning rituals, 1/4th of American respondents were extremely clear that they would rather catch up on sleep while on vacation. Similar to other geographies, travel continues to remain America’s preferred Valentine’s gift over flowers, cards, and chocolates. 1 in 3 of the respondents would love their dream proposals to take place by the waves at Myrtle Beach in South Carolina. Interestingly, similar to India, around 25% of Americans also opted to share this special moment with their partners on a cruise during the sunset in sunny California.

Sample size: Approx. 2000 globally

About OYO

OYO is a global platform that aims to empower entrepreneurs and small businesses with hotels and homes by providing full-stack technology products and services that aims to increase revenue and ease operations; bringing easy-to-book, affordable, and trusted accommodation to customers around the world. OYO offers 40+ integrated products and solutions to patrons who operate over 157,000 hotel and home storefronts in more than 35 countries including in India, Europe, and Southeast Asia, as of March 31, 2021. For more information, visit www.oyorooms.com.

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