Cox & Kings’ survey reveals Dubai, UK and Singapore are the Top Vegetarian-Friendly Destinations for Indians

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Mumbai: As per the latest Cox & Kings Survey on ‘Top Vegetarian-Friendly Destinations and Preferences of Indian Vegetarian Outbound Travellers’, Dubai, the United Kingdom and Singapore have topped the list of most preferred Vegetarian-Friendly destinations for Indian Vegetarian Travellers. Other destinations preferred for holidaying are USA, Switzerland, Malaysia, Israel, Thailand, Australia and New Zealand. Thanks to an increase in the number of Vegetarian and Indian Restaurants and growing Indian population here, these destinations are becoming the top choices for Indian Vegetarian Travellers.
The survey also revealed that Cuisine is the most important factor while finalizing a holiday. A whopping 70% of the vegetarian travellers choose their destination based on accessibility to vegetarian food. Whereas, 30% of the travellers would scout for a vegetarian restaurant after they have chosen a destination.
Assurance of a vegetarian meal drives type of tour and accommodation to be chosen. 71% of the vegetarian travellers chose Vegetarian Tours over Cosmopolitan Tours, the reason being the availability of vegetarian meals. Hotels with vegetarian restaurants are preferred by 53% of the vegetarian travellers, whereas only 20% will be fine with a multi cuisine restaurant.
The survey also reveals that 85% of the younger generation between the age group of 20-45 are open to Cosmopolitan Tours where they are served veg food, whereas majority of the travellers from the age group of 46-65 years would necessarily opt for a group tour that assures vegetarian food.
The survey was conducted from January to March 2017 with a sample size of 5000 respondents with age groups ranging from 20- 65 years through our offices.
Sharing insights on the survey released Karan Anand, Head, Relationships, Cox & Kings said, “The demand for vegetarian outbound tours is mainly coming from Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu. Major share of demand for Cox & Kings’ Vegetarian tours comes from these states.”
Another interesting finding show how the length of a vacation is influenced by the type of cuisine available and the destination itself. On a shorter trip (lesser than 5 days), 77% of the vegetarian travellers would carry ready-to-eat pre-packaged food like Noodles, Upma etc. However, they would necessarily select a vegetarian-friendly destination if they have decided to go on a longer vacation (more than 5 days).
The most preferred restaurant remains one with a separate dining/kitchen area for vegetarian food. The survey also points out that 76% of the vegetarian travellers from the age group of 46-65 years insist demarcation be done within the restaurants. However, 68% of the younger travellers are fine with a multi-cuisine restaurant with no separate dining area.
Travel Agent’s advice emerges as the most reliable one with 57% of the respondents saying they will check with their agent while deciding on a vegetarian restaurant/destination.
SUMMARY:
1. The young vegetarian travellers are more open to cosmopolitan group tours and visiting multi cuisine restaurants while the middle age and senior citizen age groups are certainly not comfortable despite being served vegetarian food in a cosmopolitan tour.
2. One of the reasons why Vegetarians prefer Group Tour is because of the satisfaction & assurance of an Indian vegetarian meal.
3. In absence of an Indian vegetarian restaurant, vegetarian travellers are apprehensive of opting for local cuisine as the definition of vegetarian food varies with the destination. In certain countries, fish and eggs are considered vegetarian whereas a vegetarian salad and Pizza dough or the glazing on bread contains eggs too.
4. An FIT passenger also necessarily checks if vegetarian restaurants are in proximity to his/her residence.
5. Vegetarian travellers would prefer shopping from a utility store and cooking food for themselves when they do not have access to a vegetarian meal
6. Vegetarian traveller will carry their food supply from India in case of a shorter trip (less than
5 days)
7. The first choice for vegetarian travellers will be to insist on Indian vegetarian meals instead of taking a chance with local vegetarian food.