The income of Indians has increased in the last few years. Besides, disposable income has also increased. In the last few years, connectivity with India has also improved for countries around the world. That's why now more and more Indians are travelling abroad. This is revealed by a report released recently by Make My Trip.
MakeMyTrip's recent How India Travels Abroad report has revealed some good figures. The report is about Indians travelling internationally between the period June 2023 to May 2024. This report shows that now there has been a significant increase in the number of Indians visiting international tourism destinations. Earlier people were not able to visit even a single international tourist destination in their lifetime.Now the situation has become such that one makes two-three trips to international tourist destinations in a year.
Two-three trips a year
Two-three decades ago, if a person visited a foreign country once in his life, he would be proud of it. His prestige among his relatives and locality increased. But now many Indians make two-three visits to foreign tourist places in a year. According to this report, the number of people making two or more international trips last year has increased by 32%. The number of people travelling for three or more days has increased by 37%, underscoring India's growing appetite for global travel.
Top five favourite countries of Indians?
In the list of India's favourite international destinations given in this report, UAE and Thailand are at the top. These countries accounted for 17% and 14% of searches respectively during the said period. After this, America, Singapore and Indonesia are the most favourite destinations for Indian tourists. Interestingly, the top ten countries attracting Indian travellers remained unchanged from last year, accounting for 64% of all searches.
Looking for new destinations
Search trends for international travel among Indians show that they are now exploring new destinations. That's why the top 10 most popular global cities have seen a slight decline in search volume from 45% to 42%. This 3% decline suggests that Indian travellers are exploring new destinations beyond traditionally preferred cities.
The magic of Dubai is at its peak
If we talk about the top international list of the world, Dubai dominates the list of top international cities. It has a share of 14% in searches. Bangkok and Singapore follow in second place with 8% and 5% respectively. Other cities like London (4%), Phuket (3%), Bali (3%), and Kathmandu (3%) also feature in the top 10. Kuala Lumpur, Toronto and New York each have a 2% share.
Almaty and Baku new choice
Looking at the emerging tourist destinations for Indians, Almaty in Kazakhstan and Baku in Azerbaijan have shown the highest year-on-year growth in searches at 527% and 395% respectively. Other emerging cities such as Hong Kong, Colombo and Tokyo have also seen a surge in interest from Indians, with these destinations contributing significantly to the increase in search volume for international travel.
Interest in luxury is increasing
Travel Preferences: Budget and Luxury The report highlights a dual trend among Indian travellers. While many people are looking for budget-friendly international experiences, there is also a growing interest in luxury travel. Southeast Asian destinations like Pattaya and Kuala Lumpur are popular for their affordable hotel options,Where almost 50% of international hotel bookings are below ₹7,000. On the other hand, cities like New York, Paris and Zurich top the list of most expensive hotel bookings made by Indian travellers.
People are also searching for homestay, villa and guesthouse
There has been a notable shift towards alternative housing among Indians. Now Indian tourists are searching for hostels, homestays, villas and guesthouses in foreign countries also. That's why their searches have increased by 42%. Bali, Dubai and Singapore are among the top destinations where Indians are opting for these unique stays. Europe is at the forefront of growth in this category.
At what time do Indians go abroad the most?
Actually, Indians travel abroad throughout the year. But December is the top month for international travel searches. Meaning that people searched for foreign destinations the most in the month of December. Short-range locations receive the most searches from October to January, while long- and medium-range locations receive the most attention from April to September.