Gaming is a huge hit with Gen Z, with nearly two-thirds (62%) saying it’s their go-to leisure activity and 57% feeling inspired to book a trip based on a location featured in a video game. Indian gamers can’t resist the allure of their consoles, even on vacation as 67% admit to packing their gaming gear to get their fix on the go, as per Skyscanner’s report on travel trends.
88 percent Indian travellers are inspired to book a trip abroad based on locations from their favourite video game.
Skyscanner’s data shows a rise in flight searches to worldwide gaming conventions:
GamesCom, Cologne, 20 August 2024: 508% increase in searches to Cologne in August 2024 vs previous month.
TwitchCon, San Diego, 20-22 September 2024: 167% increase in searches to San Diego in September 2024 vs previous month.
In June 2024, there was a 10% YoY increase in bookings of hotels with games consoles, as per the report.
The most popular hotel destinations where travellers have selected the ‘games console’ filter during this period on Skyscanner are:
Sydney, Australia
Da Nang, Vietnam
Bali, Indonesia
Chicago, USA
Bangkok, Thailand
“In 2023 we saw more than 1.9 million total attendances across the Play! Pokémon Programme and fans travelled from over 50 different countries and regions to compete or spectate,” says Pete Murphy The Pokémon Company International.
Ahead of the Pokémon World Championships in Hawaii from 16-18 August 2024, Pokemon witnessed saw a 152% increase in searches during the week of the championships compared to the previous week – showing how much gamers want to connect and play in real life.
Once a predominantly male industry, gaming is slowly morphing into a more inclusive industry, with some countries, according to Skyscanner’s data, such as the United Kingdom, having 47% of gamers identifying as women.
“And although only 5% of that make it to the pro scene, this is changing with more and more tournaments being tailored for women gamers in recent years such as the upcoming Women’s Esports Finals, which will be a first of its kind event created by Guild Esports & Sky Broadband,” as per the report.