Tag Archives: Outbound tourism

Suman Billa, Additional Secretary, Tourism, has said that TCS is a fair point raised by outbound sector, because people who are doing business in India are getting disincentivised and who travel abroad can make the payment and obviate the entire necessity of paying the tax. “We will be taking it up with the Ministry of Finance,” he added.

OTOAI had a follow-up meeting with Suman Billa, Addl. Secretary, Tourism after heads of travel trade associations met new Union Minister of Tourism. “We have been assured that the ministry will take our issues. We will meet again to discuss how outbound tourism is benefiting inbound tourism,” said Riaz Munshi, President, OTOAI.

From January to May 2024, Singapore welcomed over 5 lakh Indians. “To draw more visitors from the country, Singapore will hold a multi-city roadshow from July 8-12 in Chennai, followed by Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Ahmedabad,” said Markus Tan, Regional Director, India, Middle East, South Asia and Africa, STB.

The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, Sultanate of Oman, along with Kempinski Hotel Muscat, Zahara Tours, and SalamAir, invites the Indian travel trade to attend a webinar on the destination and the product offerings. Get valuable insights and updates for your clients on June 27 at 3pm IST. Join the webinar and stand a chance to win exciting prizes! For more information, write to jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com or 9650196532.

Underlining the role of Indian outbound in Sri Lanka’s economy, Sri Lankan MP, V Radhakrishnan, said, “The country depends on tourism. 60% of the people come from India,” on the occasion of Kumbhabhishekam puja at the Seetha Amman Temple. In fact, even in 2023, Indians top the list of key contributors to Sri Lanka’s tourism with 3,02,844 arrivals.

Describing the Indian tourist to Fiji, Robert Thompson, Executive Director of Regions, Tourism Fiji, says, “Indian arrivals to Fiji in 2023 reached pre-COVID numbers of 2019. December saw the highest number of Indian arrivals in Fiji, increasing by approx. 300% vis-a-vis 2022. The average length of stay of an Indian tourist to Fiji is approx. 7.6 nights.”

As per Mastercard’s annual report, in 2024, more Indians are traveling globally. In the first three months of 2024, 97 million passengers travelled, with 21% surge in domestic air traffic, and 4% in international travel. Indians are increasingly exploring key markets, with a 53% increase in visits to Japan, 248% to Vietnam, and 59% to the US, compared to 2019.

Vietnam Airlines started its maiden flight from New Delhi to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh on 15 May. Nguyen Trung Hieu, Country Manager India, Vietnam Airlines, said, “The move symbolises our commitment to providing passengers with world-class travel experiences.” They have also opened an informative centre for travellers’ convenience.

European Commission in recent data revealed an increase in Schengen visa applications in 2023. India has emerged as the key contributor in this, securing the third spot in the rankings for the number of short-stay visa applications. The country has lodged 9.66 lakh visa applications in 2023, an uptick from 6.7 lakh applications in 2022.

As per Policybazaar.com, there has been a 3-4% increase in booking travel insurance policies for trips exceeding 45 days in April 2024. Manas Kapoor, Business Head of Travel Insurance, Policybazaar.com, said, “Coverage for loss of baggage, trip cancellation, adventure sports, and pre-existing illness are high in demand add-ons for travel insurance.”