The beach is the new home for Indian tourists today, instead of the sedate sightseeing at historic places that was a norm a few years back.

As per Expedia?s 2013 Flip Flop Survey, which analyses vacation preferences across countries, Indians have the highest likelihood for beach vacations over the next year at 95%, followed by South Koreans at 92%.

It also states that a whopping 71% Indians took a beach vacation in 2012, ranking third behind Malaysia (77%) and Brazil (73%).

However, when it comes to historic or cultural sightseeing, Indians rank among the globally low at 18%. The survey was conducted online from April 19 to May 15 across the Asia-Pacific, Europe, North America and South America among 8,606 respondents in 21 countries.

?The Indian traveller has evolved over the years and is now more into something that is

exciting and engaging. And a beach suits them the most. Though food is an integral part for people from this part of the world, they now want to explore other things too, like scuba diving, undersea walking, windsurfing and kite surfing while on a beach,? said Expedia India marketing head Manmeet Ahluwalia.

?Apart from Goa being one of the hottest destinations when it comes to beach vacation in India, people are also opting for places like the Kutch region, Orissa (for the sand art festival), Puducherry, etc. When it comes to international beaches, people prefer Australia for scuba diving, Thailand, Mauritius and the Maldives,? Ahluwalia added.

Cox & Kings? Karan Anand said those opting for beach destinations are mostly couples on honeymoon or those travelling for water sports.

?With Indian travellers getting adventurous, the number of people opting for beach destinations has gone up. Goa remains the most popular, besides parts of the Konkan coast in Maharashtra, such as Ganpatipule,?? said Anand.

Rajeev Kale, COO (domestic, cruises & sports holidays), Thomas Cook (India), feels that spa sessions, exotic sea food and accommodation in houseboats are some attractions that are shifting people?s choice when it comes to vacationing. He said people are now giving more emphasis to offbeat locations like Kovalam, Andaman, Lakshwadeep, Ganpatipule, Shiroda, Mahabalipuram, Vizag, etc.

?We have noticed a rising demand from customers requesting for local meals, home stays near the coastal regions of India?experiences that also bring them closer to the region and its people,? said Kale.