Tag Archives: Outbound tourism

The formal collaboration between the Cambodia Oknha Association (COA) and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) has formally given way to the establishment of the India-Cambodia Joint Business Council (ICJBC). Cambodia’s tourism ministry revealed that Cambodia welcomed 68,836 Indian guests last year, a jump of 102%.

Thailand is pushing for a long-term reciprocal visa-free scheme for Indians as the country is all set to become world’s third-largest economy by 2027. The current temporary visa exemptions for Indians have boosted the business for both countries. By 18 February 2024, almost 258,269 tourists travelled to Thailand.

Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market, said, “The boom in outbound travel from India is driven by the growing middle class. In 2020, only 37 million households had annual income between $10,000-$35,000, but owing to rapid economic growth, by 2030 it will rise to 177 million households.”

70 per cent of Indians travelling overseas choose nearby destinations, with one-third choosing destinations in the Middle East, as per booking.com and McKinsey report. The UAE is the top choice in the Middle East for outbound visits, followed by Saudi Arabia. Around 1.9 million Indians visited Dubai in first 10 months of 2023.

“To maximize the benefit, TAT divides the allotted incentive budget for the MICE group into tier II and tier III cities along with tier I cities,” Siriges-A-Nong Trirattanasongpol, Director, Tourism Authority of Thailand, responded when asked about the initiatives Thailand is taking to attract MICE groups to the country.

Björn Bender, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Chairman, Rail Europe, highlighted during his visit to India, stating, “In 2023, India has become our second largest source market after the US. We saw a 65 per cent recovery from India in 2022, and currently, the company is growing at 75 per cent of pre-2019 levels.”

Addressing the dignitaries and alumni at IHM, Mumbai, Amitabh Kant, G-20 India Sherpa, said, “With India set to become the world’s third-largest economy by 2027, there will be a surge in Indian travellers globally, leading to more opportunities and responsibilities for the hospitality sector.”

Manta Air announced the commencement of its first international flight between Dhaalu Airport in Maldives and Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru on 1 March, 2024. This new route will save 4-5 hours of tourists’ time as they can avoid the overtly crowded Velana International Airport of Maldives.

Morocco Tourism will organise an exciting webinar to showcase the destination to the travel trade today at 11:30 am. Attendees will learn about Morocco’s rich tourism assets and its experiential offerings for the Indian traveller. For more information, write to jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com or 9650196532 to register.

Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) introduces K-incentive Scheme 2.0, rewarding  Indian travel agents, who promote tourism in South Korea. The initiative offers prizes and expedites tour visas to boost Indian arrivals in the country. South Korea expects Indian arrivals to rise to 2 lakh in 2024 after the introduction of this initiative.