Staff Writer – Archi
A rise in disposable incomes and changes in lifestyle patterns and exposure to the world through the internet have led Indians to explore offbeat destinations and spend much more on vacations now.
Those with deep pockets and spare time are heading to eastern Europe, Africa, the Caribbean Islands or even Latin America while others continue to flock to short haul destinations like Thailand and Singapore, but keep away from the general tourist spots.
“An ever increasing number of Indian travellers are opting for places like Kao Mai, Phi Phi islands and Hua Hin in Thailand instead of just Bangkok and Phuket. The numbers of such people are rising,” an official of an online travel portal said.
“Working professionals who can’t afford a long holiday constitute the largest number of travellers to these short-haul destinations,” he added.
According to another online travel portal, 35 per cent of Indian travellers are heading out to offbeat destinations within the country and across the globe while 38 per cent of them are spending more and more on summer holidays.
“Adventure travel too is gathering steam as travellers opting for adventure activities such as outdoor camping, rafting, hiking and safari trips have seen a fillip from last year,” said a travel advisor.
International holiday spots like Iceland, Finland, Romania, Spain, Greece or even Port of Spain are emerging as the new favourites, indicating a trend to go off the beaten track.
There is now greater number of enquiries regarding the cruise voyage on the Caribbean sea also.
At the same time, several countries too are going all out to woo the Indian travellers, especially those looking for a change with food festivals, roadshows and business and trade fairs.
Indian Tourists in Sri Lanka. Photo courtesy investsrilanka.blogspot.com
“Keeping in mind the number of Indians now travelling around the world, India is definitely an important market,” an international tour operator said.
For example Oman organised the second edition of its annual roadshow that covered several Indian metropolitans in February, promoting itself as a high-end tourism destination.
Similarly, South African Tourism’s (SAT) eighth annual five-city roadshow began in January in the Indian city of Mumbai as it showcased its popular destinations and varied culture.
“As per our research, a majority of Indians love a mix of adventure and leisure activities. From bungee jumping to window shopping, South Africa is the perfect blend of both,” a SAT official said.
According to the tourism board, 25,995 Indians visited South Africa in the fiscal year ended February 2010. The figure rose to 30,304 in the fiscal year ended February 2011 and settled at 28,684 in the fiscal year ended February 2012.
Industry experts too feel that Indians are getting paid better and are venturing out more and don’t mind spending on expensive international holiday packages.
In spite of this rise in Indian travelers venturing outside the country, a lot of travel operators feel there is still tremendous potential left untapped.
According to the Indian Ministry of Tourism, the number of Indians travelling abroad in 1991 was 1.9 million, which rose to 12.99 million in 2010 with a compound annual growth rate of 10.5 per cent.
The number of departures in 2010 registered a growth of nine per cent over 2009 as compared to 1.8 per cent growth in 2009 over 2008.
