According to a report by Atlys, the growing middle class and tier 2 and tier 3 cities are also taking to travel and looking for more authentic, budget-friendly experiences in international spaces. This can be seen as Bangalore leads the way in outbound travel followed by Delhi and Mumbai.
While the travel industry is looking to have a great year ahead, reports of the Indian rupee hitting an all-time low of RS 87.29 to the dollar on Monday and the Indian passport dropping to 85th rank this year might make travellers more cautious. However, Travelport projected that the numbers are set to reach 39 million by 2028. “In 2023, India saw 2.6 billion domestic trips, generating around $105 billion in travel spend. Outbound travel exceeded pre-COVID levels, reaching 27 million passengers with a total travel value of $40 billion,” explained shared Mark Meehan, Travelport’s GVP & Global Managing Director, adding, “But the most exciting part is that projections indicate that by 2028, India’s outbound international travel will soar to 39 million passengers, representing an impressive 8% compound annual growth rate from 2023.”
While these numbers are staggering, they are further boosted by several countries now offering Indians visas on arrival, while also making the visa process easier. Let’s take a look at the latest destinations that have joined this growing bracket:
Holiday in Indonesia with e-Visa on arrival
With the introduction of its new e-Visa on Arrival (e-VoA) programme, Indians along with 96 other countries can now visit Indonesia. One can now apply for their visas online, before departing on your trip, making it easier than ever to explore places like Bali, Ubud, Jakarta and beyond. This initiative supports Indonesia’s goal of welcoming 14 million tourists by 2025 while enhancing its tourism infrastructure. The standard e-VoA Fee is ₹2,646 and the VFS Global Service Fee is RS 1,217, including taxes.
Studying, immigrating to France to get easier?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit France and meet President Emmanuel Macron during his two-day trip this month. In an interview with Deccan Herald, Isabelle Huault, President of Emlyon Business School, said there is a likelihood that France will be announcing favourable visa and work-related permits to attract Indian students. This is in accordance with Macron’s target to increase the number of Indian students in France to 30,000 by 2030. Currently, there are an estimated 10,000 students in the country. This comes on the heels of the challenges Indians are facing with US President Donald Trump and India’s strained diplomatic relations with Canada.
Travel to Israel made easy
Effective this year, Indian travellers can apply for an e-visa under a new programme launched by the Israel Ministry of Tourism. This initiative aligns with Israel’s broader strategy to enhance tourism ties with India, a rapidly growing market for international visitors. The e-visa service is specifically designed for individual tourists. Group visa applications will continue through the existing channels. The visa is valid for up to 90 days and costs 100 NIS (RS 2,422.05). According to a recent report by JustDial, Israel has emerged as one of the top destinations for Indian tourists with a 266% increase in searches. The country was especially popular in cities like Lucknow, Delhi, Hyderabad, and Mumbai.
Go on a safari in South Africa
As South Africa’s lengthy visa process has been keeping tourists, the government has finally decided to change things up and boost tourism. From January 13, South Africa launched the Trusted Tour Operator Scheme (TTOS) for Indian and Chinese travellers. It is supposed to make the visa process smoother and faster. The South African Department of Home Affairs believes that even a 10% increase in Indian tourists can boost the economy by 0.6% and create more jobs for locals. Currently, Indian tourists account for just 3.9% of all international arrivals in South Africa. South African Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille said, “We’ve seen that there is a massive increase of outbound travellers to countries nearby where visa regulations are simpler. Now that we are transforming our visa regime, we are expecting a similar response from India.” discussions for direct flights from major Indian cities are also underway.
Tick Russia off your bucket list
If you and your friend group have Russia on your travel bucket list, things might soon get easier. Russia is in discussions with India for a ‘group-free visa regime’, which will allow a specified number of tourists travelling together in a group to enter the country without a visa. “When there is a group of tourists travelling together to Russia, the particular number should be mentioned in the document for the visit to become visa-free. For example, in the Chinese document, the group should be 10-20 people. The Russian government is in talks with the Indian External Affairs Ministry for a final agreement on the number of people comprising a group from India to avail this facility,” Moscow City Tourism Committee Chairman Evgeny Kozlov told PTI, adding, that Indians are also good spenders while travelling, spending around USD 2,000 per person per trip.” In the first nine months of 2024 (January to September), Moscow received 19.7 million guests including 61,000 Indians. By 2030 the number of foreign tourists in Moscow is expected to reach 6 million people, mainly due to travellers from the CIS countries (Commonwealth of Independent States), the Asia-Pacific region, India, the Middle East and other parts of the world. Moscow City also focuses on business, wedding, family, and film tourism.
Head to the Philippines for some beach time
Indians can apply for an e-visa to the Philippines after the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) launched a new system that’s been in development since 2019. By 2023, plans to expand its scope were confirmed, though full activation in India experienced delays. After beta testing in August 2023, the e-visa system became fully operational on October 28, 2024, at the Philippine Embassy in New Delhi, and consulates in Chennai, Kolkata, and Mumbai. The Philippines is now focused on increasing arrivals from India and the number of Indian tourists is expected to reach 50 million annually by 2030. “We are very eager to open up the doors to the Indian market,” Secretary Frasco said, adding that talks with the Indian government have been ongoing since 2023 to boost connectivity through this e-visa initiative and by exploring options for additional flights to the Philippines, PNA reported. The visa fees for a single-entry visa (valid for 3 months) are approximately ₹3,520, a Multiple-entry visa (valid for 6 months) is approximately ₹7,040, and a Multiple-entry visa (valid for 1 year)is approximately ₹10,560.
