comScore, Inc. recently released a report on the top travel sites in India as measured by the comScore Media Metrix service. The report found that traffic to the travel category grew to more than 14 million visitors in April this year, an increase of 50 per cent from the previous year, as a growing number of Indians turned to the convenience of the web in search of travel deals and accommodations.

Will Hodgman, Executive Vice President for the Asia-Pacific region, comScore said, “Travel sites now attract more than one-third of India’s total Internet population, as more consumers are turning to the web to fulfill their travel planning and booking needs. In the current economic climate, consumers are being more cost-conscious when making travel arrangements. With half of all visitors to the category frequenting two or more travel sites during the month, it’s clear that consumers are taking the time to diligently compare prices prior to completing their transactions. In this competitive environment, Online Travel Agents (OTAs) and suppliers face the challenge of building and maintaining consumer loyalty.”

Travel sites reach 37 per cent of online population in India
Approximately 14 million people from the age group of 15 years and older visited travel sites in India from a home or work location in April this year, representing 37 per cent of the total online population and an increase of 50 per cent from the previous year. With rail transit one of the most prevalent means of travelling through the country, Indian Railways ranked as the most-visited travel site with 7.7 million visitors, up 46 per cent versus year ago. Travel booking site MakeMyTrip ranked second with 2.4 million visitors (up 39 per cent) followed by Yatra.com with 1.9 million visitors (up 60 per cent). Several sites experienced triple-digit growth including Travelocity (up 134 per cent to 812,000 visitors), IndiaRailInfo.com (up 340 per cent to 647,000 visitors) and eRail.in (up 160 percent to 464,000 visitors).