THIS is the most searched foreign holiday destination by Indians this summer, as per MakeMyTrip

For a summer getaway this year, Dubai is the most searched foreign travel destination by Indians, a report released on Wednesday revealed.

According to the MakeMyTrip Summer Travel Trends Report, Dubai, Bangkok, Singapore, Bali, and the others on the top 20 international destination list make 64 per cent of all international search volume. 

Although not part of the top 20 list, the report highlighted that international destinations like Luxembourg, Langkawi and Antalya are also gaining Indian travellers' interest.

It said the search rate for Baku, Almaty and Nagoya has grown the highest. 

Like last year, the top 20 international destinations for 2024 are: 

- Dubai - Bangkok - Singapore - Bali - Kathmandu 

- Kuala Lumpur - Toronto - Phuket - Doha -Abu Dhabi

- London - Colombo - Sharjah - New York - Jeddah

- Baku - Ho Chi Minh City - Muscat - Hong Kong - Riyadh

Also read: Dubai weather: Heavy rains lash UAE again; flights cancelled, schools and offices shut

According to the MMT report, the average duration of an international trip was 5-8 days, with Thailand topping the list of “Most Booked Holiday Packages”, followed by Dubai and Bali. 

Rajesh Magow, co-founder and group CEO of MakeMyTrip, said summer is always one of the biggest quarters of the year in terms of travel intent.

“…This year too, the buoyancy in the sector continues. We are observing a healthy growth in searches over those recorded last year at this time,” he said.

Magow said summer leisure travel in India begins with the Southern region, where the holiday season arrives early, followed by the West, and then finally, the North.

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Summer trends for domestic travel

The co-founder highlighted that although there wasn't “any change" in the trend of Indians travelling this year, the travel company has observed a surge in traffic and bookings on redBus during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections dates "as people prioritise to visit their hometowns to cast votes”.

According to the MMT report, Indians preferred “destinations with cool mountain terrains” for a domestic holiday.

Goa has continued to remain the most searched destination, while searches for Srinagar and Udaipur have witnessed the highest growth. 

Also read: More Indians travelling now; searches for spiritual destinations nearly doubled in last 2 years

Similar to its April report, MMT found a surge in the search for pilgrimage destinations this summer: Puri and Varanasi were the most searched of all. 

However, Ayodhya has continued to record growth in search volumes.

According to the April report, searches for Ayodhya grew 585 per cent in 2023.

Domestic destinations recording the highest search growth this summer are: 

- Ayodhya - Lakshadweep - Nandi Hills

- Chalakudy - Chevella - Omkareshwar

- Marayoor - Jibhi - Chakrata

- Sonmarg - Ganpatipule - Purulia

- Khatu - Dwarka - Thiruvannamalai