PATA and Nielsen launch joint India report

Nicole Mezzasalma

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The Nielsen Indian Outbound Travel Monitor 2008 explores the behaviour of Indian travellers before, during and after an international trip

The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) and research group The Nielsen Company have partnered to create the Nielsen Indian Outbound Travel Monitor 2008. The report explores the behaviour of Indian travellers before, during and after an international trip and is based on a sample of 2,000 respondents across 10 cities in India. The Indian Outbound Travel Monitor also includes a “Destination Performance Index” (DPI) that provides strategic information on various countries and regions visited by Indians, based on factors such as consumer perceptions, satisfaction levels in travel experiences and the possibility of repeat travel.

According to PATA, the Indian outbound market grew by about 10% annually between 1996 and 2006, with the number of journeys taken by Indian travellers growing from 3.5m to 8.3m during that period.

The Nielsen Company India associate director client solutions Vatsala Pant said: “The increasingly affluent middle-class, together with a consumption-driven economy and an increase in the number of business travellers, has contributed to the dynamic growth of outbound travel. There was a time when overseas holidays were restricted to only a select number of Indian residents. With the economy booming, travel is now within the grasp of millions of Indian consumers. The Nielsen India Outbound Travel Monitor will help organisations involved in the travel and tourism industry to gain insightful information about consumer holiday preferences.”

PATA Strategic Intelligence Centre associate director Oliver Martin added: “With India being one of the fastest growing markets globally, the eyes of travel and tourism industry are turning to this country of 1.1bn residents. PATA is pleased to partner with Nielsen to produce the Indian Outbound Travel Monitor, which will be a must-have reference for tourism industry managers interested in tapping into the evolving Indian outbound travel market.”

The report is currently in field production and will be officially launched at the PATA Travel Mart event in September.