Despite the “expensive dollar”, more Indians are expected to travel abroad this year.

Thanks to improved air connectivity with cheaper fares and availability of a range of tourism products and holiday packages, more Indians are expected to opt for international holidays, says Rohit Hangal, Director, Sphere Travelmedia & Exhibitions.

Launching the company’s 66{+t}{+h} edition of India International Travel Mart (IITM) here today, Hangal said last year 16 million Indians travelled abroad both on business and leisure.

“This year, we expect the number to grow at least by 10 per cent,” he said.

He also said that similarly, the number of inbound tourists will also go up from around six million last year, as India is one of the most affordable destinations for many foreigners. India has been more expensive compared with some neighbouring countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, mostly because of the hotel room rates.

With additional supply of rooms in the last two years and many more in the pipeline, room rates here are now moving southwards.

“Coupled with the weakening rupee, this would make India an attractive destination for many,” Hangal said.

Besides, India has a lot to offer for international tourists. “Though we receive lesser number of international travellers compared with some of the neighbouring countries, we manage to sell more room-nights than most other countries in this region,” he pointed out.

According to him, while international travellers stay in India for about 18-19 days on an average, the average number of days spent by them in most other countries is a week.

The three-day IITM expo (July 19-21) this year features over 200 participants – including eight countries from across continents, 15 Indian States, travel agents and tour operators, hotels, cruise lines and several online travel portals.

This year Thailand and Malaysia are the ‘partner countries’, while Dubai, Oman and Switzerland are the ‘feature countries’ in the expo.

From India, Gujarat and Rajasthan are the partner States, while Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra are ‘feature destinations’ at the event.

ravikumar.r@thehindu.co.in

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