A look at India’s foreign travel frenzy, in charts
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. 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. 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.
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
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