OYO Hotels & Homes, South Asia’s largest, China’s 2nd largest, and the world’s fastest-growing chain of leased and franchised hotels, homes & living spaces today released Q1 travel booking index highlighting how Nepalese have planned their travel in the upcoming summer months.

The index revealed a 221% increase in overall bookings vis a vis the same booking period last year (January - March) highlighting the growing trend amongst Nepalese planning their summer vacation months in advance. An OYO was booked every 72.48 seconds and Kathmandu, Pokhara and Biratnagar emerged as top booked destinations.

Interestingly, Kathmandu, as the top destination, received maximum bookings from couple travellers (57.27%) followed by an equal number of bookings by families (21.36%) and solo travellers (21.36%). The growing internet penetration in Nepal and the enthusiasm of Nepalese travellers for using the latest technology to plan their travel is visible as the App bookings were 40.79 times of desktop. Estimates also reveal that the budget category hotels are scoring high in bookings.

On the growing popularity of Summer bookings and the interesting trends, Aditya Ghosh, CEO, India & SA, OYO Hotels & Homes, said, “Summer vacations with family and friends have been an intrinsic part of everyone’s lives growing up. Most people utilize this time to spend some quality moments with their loved ones. At OYO, we value and understand the need for affordable, good quality travel and accommodation options and are constantly working towards making stays comfortable and hassle-free. With a presence across 10 cities in Nepal, including Kathmandu, Pokhara, Dhulikhel, Bhaktapur, Nagarkot, Chitwan, Biratnagar, Hetauda, Nepalgunj and Dhangadhi, we are persistent in bringing the best OYO experience to Nepal for global and local travellers.’’

OYO Summer Booking Index also throws light on consumer behavior and trends in the international markets. Goa, Kuala-Lumpur and Jakarta registered maximum bookings in India, Malaysia and Indonesia respectively. India recorded a 119% increase in overall bookings in comparison to last year.