Industry
A look at India’s foreign travel frenzy, in charts
Summary
- A Mint analysis of data from several countries shows that while tourism is seeing a rebound, travel numbers to popular tourist countries are yet to touch pre-covid levels
A lot has been said about how Indians are more eager than ever to hit the roads and skies for foreign trips. Social media feeds show many Indians vacationing in places from Thailand and Singapore to Paris, and going on ‘revenge travel’ since the borders opened up after the pandemic. Indians were ranked as second-most “confident" tourists in the Asia-Pacific region, only behind Hong Kongers, according to a 2023 survey conducted by travel portal Booking.com. However, a Mint analysis of data from several countries shows that while tourism is indeed seeing a rebound, travel numbers to popular tourist countries are yet to touch pre-covid levels. Indian tourist visas also see high rejection rates in key developed countries. Mint explores:
Surging travel
Over 20 million Indians travelled abroad last year, with tourism being the third biggest reason for doing so, shows tourism ministry data. However, this was 18% lower than the pre-pandemic average of over 25 million seen between 2017 and 2019. But the pace is growing: in the first four months of 2023, nearly 8.5 million have travelled abroad, already touching two-fifths of the full-year figure of 2022. Footfalls at India’s international airports are also showing an upward trend.
Top picks
So where are Indians travelling to? Dubai, London, Bangkok and Toronto are among the foreign locales searched the most often by Indians this year, shows data from Kayak, an American metasearch engine, shared with Mint. The split between Asian and western destinations is equal in the top 10, and popular Asian spots dominate the top five. Indians are also spending big. Foreign exchange outflows due to overseas travel under the Reserve Bank of India’s liberalized remittance scheme topped $13.7 billion in FY23, the highest ever.
Asian cheer?
With fewer visa-related hassles, cheaper travel due to weaker currencies, and visa-on-arrival facilities, it’s no wonder that Asian destinations have caught the fancy of Indians. Destinations like Vung Tau, Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi in Vietnam and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia are gaining interest, said Nishant Pitti, chief executive officer at EaseMyTrip. However, despite what social media posts might tell you, Indian visitor arrivals to some top Asian destinations still lag 2019 levels. As the next round of the festival and holiday season beckons, we must wait and watch whether the trend changes.
Lost money
Meanwhile, there are cautionary tales. Prospective Indian visitors’ visa applications continue to see high rejection rates in key developed countries even as the rate has fallen over the years. For every 100 applications submitted, around 20 in Australia, 18 in the EU, 14 in the UK and over six in the US were rejected in 2022. Collectively, these rejections cost Indians a staggering ₹281.2 crore for trips that never happened!
Looking ahead
The Indian passport has grown stronger over the past decade with its passport now allowing visa-free access to 57 nations, up from 52 a decade ago. The expansion of airport infrastructure and low-cost carriers are making travel accessible to more Indians. “Some increasing travel trends we have witnessed and anticipate are meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) travel, travel to off-beat destinations, sleep tourism, sun tourism along with short-hauls to European and South-Asian destinations," said Pitti.
