About 21% Indians face language barriers during travel: Survey

Even as Indian travellers are keen to explore new destinations and experiences, many hesitate to do so fearing language barriers, according to a survey.

"Indian travellers are keen to push their limits and seek out the new, yet are being held back by language barriers and niggling anxiety. About 21 per cent Indian travellers faced language barriers during their recent travel exposing surprising gaps between their travel ambitions and reality, according to a survey by online travel platform Booking.com.

Research commissioned by Booking.com and independently conducted among 20,500 adults, who have taken a trip in the last 12 months or plan one in the next 12 months.

The survey was done across 28 countries including in Australia, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, China, Brazil, India, the US, the UK, Russia, Indonesia and Columbia, Japan, New Zealand, Thailand, Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Hong Kong, Croatia, Taiwan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Sweden, Singapore and Israel in in March this year.

The survey revealed that more than eight in 10 travellers (83 per cent) have made travel mistakes, including misunderstanding directions and getting lost (33 per cent), mispronouncing a word in the local language (23 per cent) and misunderstanding what was ordered in a restaurant (28 per cent), it said.

Nevertheless, it revealed that there is a strong desire to be a limitless traveller, with two in five (40 per cent) Indian aspiring to be one and over three quarters (84 per cent) want to make the most of every travel experience and travel with no regrets, it said.

The survey also revealed that about 50 per cent Indians felt they will be able to overcome anxieties about travelling with great accommodation options, while 41 per cent said positive reviews from other travellers would help.

Around 30 per cent felt being able to ask questions in the local language would relieve their anxieties while 36 per cent said being able to order their favourite food would also help, it added.