THE TRAVELLING INDIANFeatured

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Low-cost carriers offering attractive fares to foreign destinations are redefining the holidaying experience for the Indian traveller. Indians are never daunted and remain in search of travel and greener pastures. With a prosperous middle class, more and more Indians are today, outward bound for holidays and business.

2017 looks like a promising year for India’s outbound tourism sector. Europe, USA and Far East Asia markets are bringing in maximum business. There has been a lot of interest for travel to Russia, Israel, New Zealand thanks to the interesting campaigns by several international tourism boards and aggressive promotion campaigns

This, coupled with flash sales by hotels and airlines, as well as higher disposable incomes amongst the Indian middle class families attracts tourists to travel abroad. This year, the companies are also witnessing a positive shift in honeymoon packages wherein people are travelling to exotic destinations like Seychelles, Bali and Maldives other than Thailand and Singapore

As per some travel agents summer 2017 will see a healthy mix of both short and long hauls with easy access options like Singapore, Dubai, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bali, Malaysia, Hong Kong-Macau coupled with favourites like USA-Canada, Switzerland France, Germany and New ZealandAustralia; and fresh destinations emerging on the radar like Japan, Korea, Israel, Abu Dhabi, Flanders, Philippines.

Indian travellers are opening up to intellectually and educationally enriching getaways and traditional sightseeing vacations are a thing of the past. Experiential travel is the Indian traveller’s new mantrathey are clearly pushing the envelope

The rupee depreciation has had little impact on the outbound tourism as there are only certain countries which faced a price hike in accommodation and land expenses. There is a certain minimum outlay of money for any foreign trip, especially for families Trip prices to the US, for example, have not increased substantially this year, despite the rupee depreciating against the dollar

Looking at it from that point of view, trips to destinations such as Europe, West Asia, Australia, Southeast Asia and Africa are less expensive as the rupee has been quite firm against their currencies year-on-year in addition to lower airfares. Due to the overall strength of the rupee, currency is unlikely to be a key concern for Indians wanting to book international holidays. A weak international economic climate has a lot of opportunities to offer budget travellers. Hotel stays, local sightseeing, shopping and food will become cheaper thereby bringing down approximately 15 to 20 per cent of the total travel cost depending on the destination

Apart from traditional favourite destinations like South East Asia, more and more Indian travellers are looking to explore new destinations. There is a surge in inquiries and people travelling to Zambia, Tanzania and other African countries as they have wildlife in abundance. European countries like Vienna, Prague, Iceland, Romania, the Netherlands and Scandinavia are some of the new and fast emerging holiday destinations gaining traction amongst Indians, especially youngsters

The traditional tick-box see-all-you-can package no longer finds favour; fresh engaging experiences are in high demand and based on customer’s interests trips are curated from a range of innovative and immersive experiential itineraries- from fissure snorkelling in Iceland, touring on horseback in South Africa, nature trails and a tree-top walk at Singapore’s MacRichie Reservoir, volcano climbs in The Philippines, to cooking classes with local chefs in France, zip lining and rappelling in Malaysia’s rain forests or the adrenaline rush of adventure sports in New Zealand

Travel agents are introducing new market specific products and working closely with tourism boards to make most of the outbound demand.

The foreign tourism boards are also gearing up to meet the growing number of Indians who are travelling abroad and splurging

Macao is an entertaining and an enjoyable destination with a lot of grandeur. There is a plethora of entertainment waiting for the Indian tourist in Macao. From exotic shows, nightlife and family attractions, Macao have world class shows which are worth making a trip for, like – The House of Dancing Water at The City of Dreams, Viva La Broadway at The Galaxy Hotel, Tree of Prosperity at Wynn and The House of Magic at The Studio City amongst others. Macao also has attractions like The Panda Pavilion, the Science Centre, 3D and the Grand Prix museum and the Macao Tower for a family to enjoy together.

Israel recorded an increase of 31 per cent in Indian tourist arrivals. Israel tourism board expects Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and the Dead Sea to record a good demand from the Indian market and is also aiming to promote Eilat, which is the resort city on the shores of the red sea in the Aqaba Gulf. More and more Indians are already putting South Africa on their travel itineraries. India’s large diaspora and growing openness to the outside world has also stimulated foreign travel, especially among younger generations. This, coupled with the country's new generation of middle-class tourists, set to grow even further, presents a great opportunity for South African Tourism and its trade partners both in India and South Africa.

Thailand is one of the best destinations for Indian travellers and also a family friendly destination. Besides being a shopping and golf paradise plus a beach and wellness destination, Thailand has a lot to offer for children and family too. The top places to travel with family are Bangkok and the nearby Kanchanaburi, KhaoYai, HuaHin– Cha-am, Rayong and Pattaya along with new destinations such as Chiang Mai, Phetchaburi, SamutPrakan, Rayong, Chiang Rai and the 12 Hidden Gem cities like Lumpang, Ratchaburi, Trang, Koh Chang which are waiting for tourists to explore and experience.Domestic

Read 3740 timesLast modified on Wednesday, 19 April 2017 10:29
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