'Do-it-yourself' trip planning seemed to be the most preferred choice for most travellers in 2016, especially millennial travelers, and is expected to continue in 2017 with an estimated 38 per cent rise in the use of DIY trip plans.

The majority of DIY trip plans in 2016 came from countries like the US, China and India. These countries are also predicted to be heading the leader-board for DIY plans in the coming year.

According to the data of TripHobo users, an average of 62 per cent travellers chose to plan a DIY trip whereas an average of 23 per cent travellers chose to customize the plans created by other travellers on TripHobo. About 14 per cent of the travellers chose the conventional readymade packages.

This DIY trend shows that fewer holidaymakers are opting for readymade travel packages as compared to previous years. Longer trips were planned with more care compared to the shorter ones, as evidenced by the much higher number of revisions made to itineraries of longer durations.

France and Italy remained the top destinations for travel last year, while new entrees were added to the list of most visited countries including Japan and Russia, which received more travellers compared to previous years.

While luxury vacations are gaining immense popularity, the trend observed in 2016, was striking. Travellers ditched the conventional hotel stay and preferred to book homestays and B&Bs instead. This is evident from the 31 per cent increase in Bed and Breakfast bookings as compared to previous years. Among hotels, three-star was the most preferred choice over luxury hotels with 62 per cent choosing a three-star accommodation.

Predictions for 2017

Looking at the data, it is estimated that DIY trip plans will see a 38 per cent rise in 2017. In terms of destinations, 36 per cent travellers are predicted to choose offbeat places and experiences over conventional holiday destinations. The popularity of short trips continues to rise with a predicted growth rate of almost 50 per cent. A third of the travelers are anticipated to opt for a solo trip. Fewer than a sixth of the travelers are expected to plan an off-season trip to avoid crowd and surcharges. Homestays will continue to dominate accommodation choices with a growth of 14 per cent.

Hot Destinations for 2017

European destinations like Reykjavik, Salzburg, Cork, Copenhagen and Ibiza are expected to receive a larger influx of tourists in early 2017. Asian destinations like Leh and Andaman and Nicobar Islands might also garner a lot of tourist interest. Off-beat places like Mongolia and Bucharest are anticipated to see more crowds than usual whereas the popular destinations like Naples and Lisbon will continue to see more crowds. - TradeArabia News Service