New Delhi, September 13 2015: Indian travellers are at the top of  rankings of the world's most experimental travellers, released by leading   UK-based global travel search engine, Skyscanner.  Indians have searched for 231 different countries around the world in the first half of 2015 ,  opting for upcoming yet picturesque destinations like Ireland, Sweden, Greece, Switzerland and Japan. Indians  share the throne with Australia, Indonesia and Japan.  
Skyscanner’ data suggests that Indian travellers are heading to countries that offer an array of tourist attractions, unexplored terrains, vast landscapes, cultures, and rich heritage. Ireland, a rugged and romantic island with landscapes steeped in geological richness, has witnessed a 110% YoY growth in searches and is one of the emerging destinations for Indian travellers this year. With snow-capped peaks, wandering reindeers in deep green forests and the 24-hour daylight of the midnight sun, Sweden has witnessed a 106% YoY increase in searches. Greece (77%), Switzerland (15%) and Japan (12%) are some of the other countries that have piqued travellers’ curiosity this year.
 “The Indian travel landscape is evolving and is witnessing a change in travel sentiments in a robust manner. In the spirit of exploration, Indians are looking for more unfrequented destinations. The diversification in destinations indicates a greater sense of adventurism, and should be heartening for the India tourism industry as a whole. With Skyscanner’s search “Everywhere” feature, travellers can search anywhere in the world for inspiration. With Skyscanner’s Best Time to Book interactive tool and “Price Alerts”, travellers can find their dream destination at the best possible price.” said Kavitha Gnanamurthy, Senior Marketing Manager, Skyscanner India.
While Indians, Australians, Indonesians and Japanese are searching for the most destinations amongst the Asia-Pacific region, travel enthusiasts of other nations are not far behind. With 230 searches, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore and South Korea share the second spot in the list of experimental travellers in the Asia-Pacific region. Taiwan ranks third with 229 searches, followed by Philippines and Vietnam with 228 and 227 searches respectively
Travelling solo is trending amongst Indian women
Another survey commissioned by Skyscanner, reveales  that 70% of Indian women travellers have either gone on a solo trip or are planning one. The survey, which studied the travel habits of Indian travellers, highlighted that 37% of Indian women travellers have done a solo trip while 33% are open to the idea of travelling solo.
The Skyscanner survey revealed that while 33% of women travellers preferred a well-planned itinerary to avoid last minute surprises, 26% of respondents preferred a mix of planned and unplanned elements to discover and explore new places in their chosen destination. 19% of women were more comfortable planning their solo travel through trusted agents, while 16% of respondents prefer to explore their chosen destination without a planned itinerary or tour.
Barriers to solo travel
31% of women travellers avoid taking solo trips due to safety and security concerns across domestic and international travel. Fear of boredom (23%), family disagreements (13%) and leave from work (8%) were contributing factors to barriers to solo travel.
Top solo destinations for male and female travellers from India
Based on the flight searches performed by Indian travellers on Skyscanner, the most favourable domestic destination for Indian solo travellers is the capital city of Delhi with its amalgamation of various cultures and traditions as well as historic value. This is followed by Mumbai, Goa, Bangalore and Kolkata. While major Indian cities remain the domestic hot spots for solo travellers, the capital city of London with its blend of Roman history and modern culture emerges as the favourite International destination amongst India’s solo travellers, followed by Toronto, Bangkok, New York and Dubai.