YouTube drives travel inspiration as 81% Indians plan to splurge: Report

A Google-Kantar study shows YouTube is now the top source of travel inspiration for Indians, with rising digital engagement and a strong shift towards premium

With the growing prominence of the digital medium, 68 per cent of Indians are now turning to the video-sharing platform, YouTube, for travel-related inspiration, as per a report by Google and Kantar, a shift away from films and television that have till recently inspired people to travel and discover new places.

 

The report also found that 81 per cent of people in India expect to splurge on a trip as travel appetite rises. This follows 72 per cent of travellers in the country citing cost as less of a consideration, highlighting a trend of premiumisation for global trips, where the average spend is 3.2 times higher than that of a domestic trip, as per the report titled Travel Rewired: Decoding the Indian Traveller.

 

Additionally, 88 per cent of Indians are keen on travelling as much as possible. Domestic travellers also prioritise comfort and luxury over cost, with average spend per trip being Rs 71,850.

 

Why is YouTube becoming the new hub for Indian travel inspiration? 

“We are seeing our digital ecosystem simplify this complexity. YouTube is the inspiration hub, Search is the essential touchpoint for planning with AI emerging as the critical enabler for travellers,” said Shaurab Kapadia, head of travel and FoodTech, Google, in a statement. “At the same time, we are enabling brands with our AI-powered ads suite and the YouTube creator ecosystem to optimise for micro-moments, ensuring personalised messaging that converts peak interest into a booking.”

 

The study was conducted by Kantar, a market research company, across metros, Tier I and Tier II cities in India, with a sample size of 1,000 respondents (aged between 18 to 45 or over 45), balancing primary decision makers and influencers.

 

What types of trips are Indians taking, and how is YouTube influencing them? 

Among the travel segments, 89 per cent of travellers described their most recent trip as a jetsetting, sports or music-focused trip, and they used YouTube when looking for information from creators. The report added that 88 per cent of people used YouTube for travel information from creators on international trips. Younger travellers, representing 67 per cent of the travel segment as first-time travellers, planners and spenders, mostly prefer taking shorter trips (of about four to six nights), and 33 per cent of these prefer travelling with friends. Meanwhile, the report stated that the religious pilgrims segment was the budget-conscious travel segment.

 

How is creator content shaping travel choices across formats? 

YouTube is fuelling aspirational travel and deep engagement across content formats, with creators’ videos or content being trusted by 59 per cent of travellers. These travellers rely on such videos for planning their trips, while short-format content like YouTube Shorts is being viewed for inspiration by two out of five travellers.

 

“Our continued success with long-form video ads on YouTube for awareness and consideration led us to test the full potential of its multi-format capabilities,” said Pallavi Chopra, chief marketing officer, redBus. “We strategically incorporated YouTube Shorts ads during the last holiday season, treating them as more than just a reach platform. This combination proved powerful for brand consideration: Shorts delivered a two times lift in branded search and achieved a 7 per cent lower customer acquisition cost. This synergy of long-form and Shorts is now essential for driving an efficient, always-on, full-funnel strategy from awareness through conversion.”

 

How digital are Indian travellers in their booking and research habits? 

Travellers are highly digital, with 85 per cent preferring to book online, with brand trust being the top factor in accommodation and airline choices. During the research phase, both Search and YouTube are used to gather crucial information about accommodations such as reviews, location and videos, while for airlines, people check content on reputation, reliability and in-flight experience.

 

This comes at a time when Indians collectively spent 1.1 trillion hours on their smartphones last year, according to a report by Ficci and EY. On average, individuals logged five hours daily on their mobile screens, with nearly 70 per cent of that time dedicated to social media, gaming and video consumption in 2024.