Majority spends 3,001-5,000 on foreign trips: Study

How much does an Indian traveller spend abroad? There8217;re no surprises here, especially at a time when more and more Indians are travell...

How much does an Indian traveller spend abroad? There8217;re no surprises here, especially at a time when more and more Indians are travelling abroad. A survey conducted by MasterCard International reveals that 58 per cent respondents are likely to spend in the range of US 3,001-5,000 Rs 1.32 lakh-Rs 2.20 lakh abroad.

While 32 per cent are likely to spend below 3,000 Rs 1.32 lakh, only 10 per cent will limit themselves to the range of 5,001-10,000 Rs 2.20 lakh- Rs 4.40 lakh. The survey, which is part of MasterCard8217;s MasterIndex of Consumer Confidence survey, was conducted amongst Indians planning personal air travel over the next 12 months.

According to the survey, 67 per cent of respondents who owned credit cards said they preferred to use their credit cards over cash while traveling abroad. 8220;This Consumer Lifestyle Survey demonstrates the changing Indian lifestyle with more and more Indians increasingly travelling abroad,8221; said Nitin Gupta, vice-president and general manager, MasterCard International, South Asia.

As for carriers, the Maharajah still rules the Indian skies. Air India, the government-owned international airline, was chosen as the most preferred airline by 67 per cent of Indian travellers. Private airlines, which recently started international flights, are way behind. Jet Airways and Sahara Airlines were chosen as the preferred airline by 12 per cent respondents each.

According to the survey, 17 per cent respondents said they prefer Singapore as the destination for their next trip abroad. This was followed by UAE 14 per cent and Switzerland 14 per cent. Other preferred destinations included Australia 10 per cent, Nepal 10 per cent and the UK 10 per cent.

In terms of the preferred month of travel, 21 per cent respondents chose May, followed by 12 per cent who chose July. Another 12 per cent and 10 per cent chose December and November respectively.

The survey also revealed that while 71 per cent respondents preferred to book their flights through travel agents, only 29 per cent preferred to make booking directly with the airline via a personal visit, telephone or Internet.