HONG KONG : A growing appetite for overseas travel among India’s middle class is reshaping tourism trends in Asia, with destinations including Hong Kong and Central Asia seeing spikes in interest due to improved connectivity and affordable packages, industry analysts say.
Interest in luxury travel has been rising, with online searches for Hong Kong surging by 131 per cent annually as Indian businessmen see the city as a gateway to mainland China to seal deals and explore the city’s clubs and restaurants. This was followed by searches to Sri Lanka, Japan, Saudi Arabia and Malaysia.
International travel search volumes were steady across all seasons, with December being the most active month. India’s travel boom is also partly due to better flight connectivity and easier visa processing in several regional countries including Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia. The easing of stringent travel curbs imposed during the pandemic has further increased outbound tourism volumes, according to Patel.
With the country’s middle class expected to grow by 40 million to 50 million people by 2025, the base of potential outbound tourists was projected to expand significantly, Patel added. “The growth of Indian outbound tourism is increasingly evident as middle-class travel horizons broaden and destination choices diversify,” Bowerman said.