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More Indians are travelling abroad this summer, and to a lot more places.
South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Maldives, Greece and Turkey are the latest favourites. But South East Asia is still the most popular destination with a traffic growth of 40 per cent.
MakeMyTrip.com's Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder, Mr Keyur Joshi, says, “There has been an increase of about 35-40 per cent.” MakeMyTrip is therefore now offering three charters leaving from Delhi, Mumbai and Ahmedabad. Last year it offered only one charter from Delhi.
There has been a 2-3 per cent decrease in package costs as compared to last year. A four-day package to Singapore from Mumbai costs Rs 14,599 plus $429 per person. And 5 nights in Bangkok and Pattaya (ex Mumbai) cost Rs 17,299 plus $189 per person.
A trip to Dromoland Castle-Galway Ireland starts from €1,620 for five nights and a beach resort in Greece comes with a starting price of €2,085 for five nights.
Freebies in these packages have also gone up – you can take a child along free to several destinations in Europe and South East Asia. Or get one or two additional nights at no extra cost now. The more enterprising travel agencies are also throwing in a Mediterranean cruise for free for travellers in Europe.
Kuoni India has seen the emergence of niche products such as adventure sports, luxury holidays, spa and wellness retreats and wildlife vacations gaining popularity among Indians.
Kashmira Commissariat, COO Outbound Division, Kuoni India, says, “Among the various segments, the FIT (Free Individual Traveller) segment has evolved in the last few years.”
Another segment that is emerging is of youngsters. These travellers prefer activities such as scuba diving, para sailing, river rafting and skiing.
One of the reasons being cited for this increase in demand, particularly to countries like Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore, is the availability of low cost airlines. Affordable fares to these destinations coupled with comparatively cheaper hotel bookings in this part of the world are providing a boost to travel.
Further, India is one of the biggest markets for outbound travellers and this is a trend that most travel houses are capitalising on.
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