Where will most Indians go this holiday season?

CHENNAI: A recent survey based on 25,000 online conversations reveals that London is the most preferred international holiday destination for Indians while Goa is the most favoured domestic destination.

The IBM Social Sentiment Index, which uses advanced analytics and natural language processing technologies to analyze large volumes of social media data to assess public opinions, has found that travel and hospitality was trending as high as 33% percent of all social conversations. It analyzed a high volume of discussions on flying, driving and vacation with family and friends, among others.

Diving deeper into the social dialogue, positive sentiment associated with 'luxury destinations' also showed a huge surge. People's choices for travel and vacation destinations primarily revolved around service and experience, while price was a key driver when it came to hospitality and travel agents, according to the IBM Social Sentiment Index.

"Measuring social sentiment has the potential to enable the travel industry to design travel offers and services tailored to what travellers are telling us," Dr Late Ayer, partner, Global Business Services, IBM India & South Asia, said.

"It has the power to offer new insights into the travel industry, including airlines, hotels and other travel providers that can translate customer desires into irresistible offers that they would welcome," she added.