Madhapur in Top 5 offbeat places explored in India according to Airbnb

HYDERABAD: Ahead of National Tourism Day, hotel booking platform Airbnb presented a round-up of key trends that emerged in India and how travellers embraced new forms of travel.

Stating that travellers chose offbeat destinations to travel, Hyderabad’s Madhapur stood among top 5 places explored in India. The other four were Rameswaram and Vellore of Tamil Nadu, Cherrapunji of Meghalaya and Pimpri-Chinchwad of Maharashtra.

New data from Airbnb revealed that international travel saw a strong recovery in 2022, with Indians searching for the most iconic cities around the world with Airbnb. The most searched for destinations internationally by Indian guests as of Q3 2022 included Dubai, London, Paris, Toronto, and New York.

Solo travel was the most popular type of International travel by Indians as of Q3 2022 followed by couple and family travel. Domestically, the interest for exploring off-the-beaten path destinations witnessed a spike on Airbnb in 2022

The report also said that local and small communities were benefited by tourism.

Delhi, Goa, Kerala, Maharashtra and Himachal Pradesh topped the charts when it came to hospitality, with the highest share of 5-star reviews from guests on Airbnb.

In 2022, travellers found themselves sitting poolside or catching rays on a sandy beach. Both of these water-related categories came in at the top spots amongst Indian travellers, with tropical, iconic city and national parks also making appearances.

The top five hosts in India with the highest number of bookings in 2022 were from Mumbai Maharashtra, New Delhi, Guwahati, Assam, Goa and Hyderabad, Telangana.

The superguest for 2022 hit a century. The most travelled Indian guest made more than 115 bookings last year on the platform.

Amanpreet Bajaj, Airbnb’s General Manager for India, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan, said: "The past year was about the revival and recovery of the travel industry. This year is expected to see travellers taking much-awaited international trips as well as exploring lesser known destinations in India and around the world. People are preparing their bucket lists for the year, and this growing appetite for travel is a positive sign. Our Hosts are excited to welcome guests from across the world and make their stays memorable. We, at Airbnb, are committed to working with local hosts across the country, as well as the government stakeholders across states and at the centre, to help ensure local communities can take advantage of this travel revolution.”