Travel can be generally termed as movement of people between relatively distant locations. Travel has been occurring since time immemorial.  The word ‘Travel’ comes from Middle English travailen, travelen which means to torment, labor, strive, journey and earlier from Old French ‘travailler’ which means to work strenuously, toil.  Over a period of time, the stress associated with travel has changed drastically.There are multiple modes of travel as of now.  One can book for a travel ticket over a computer or mobile and can track their journey throughout.

The report about the “Travel and Tourism Survey 2017-2018” analyzes travelers’ opinion on the purpose of air travel and the preferred channels/devices used by them when booking air tickets. This report also examines travelers’ opinions with regard to the average shopping frequency, preferred travel destinations, and the average time spent at airport retail outlets. In addition, the report examines the travelers’ product shopping trends, and the key factors that motivate them to shop at airport retail stores. Furthermore, the report provides information categorized by age, gender, and annual income.

The majority of air travelers are traveling for business purposes rather than leisure. The highest number of travelers prefers PC/Laptop when booking air tickets for travel abroad.  On average, 46% of female travelers shopped at duty-free airport retail outlets. The majority of travelers purchased food and beverages from airport retail stores for consumption at the airport in the last 12 months. Competitive prices and last-minute gifts are the key factors motivating travelers to purchase at airport retail stores. Of travelers, 41% indicate that they intend to travel to the US by air in the next 12 months.

Online price comparison websites and airline websites are mostly preferred by travelers for booking air tickets, as these channels help them to save money by finding the best deals. Additionally, travel mobile apps are a great bonus for customers, as they are a kind of one-stop solution for booking air tickets. Competitive prices and last-minute gifts are prominent factors motivating travelers to purchase at airport retail stores.