Why India

The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) has stated that India is one of the fastest growing outbound travel markets in the world. As of 2011 India had the second largest population in the world, behind China. By 2030, the population of India is expected to surpass that of China to become the largest in the world. As the country grows, so does its outbound tourism. More and more Indians prefer to travel the globe rather than just visiting places in their own country.

According to the “Economic Times” (one of India’s leading business newspapers), India’s middle class is moving into the “cash rich / time poor” bracket. They work long hours and make steady money but have very little time to spend on vacation yet when they do vacation they leave no holes barred. Even though most outbound travel from India is concentrated in the business travel segment of the “VFR” trips (visiting family and relatives), many are taking bold steps and venturing out into niche travel pockets such as sports tourism, luxury and also spa excursions.

To top it all Indians are generous and good spenders. This makes them very attractive to those wanting to cash in on this emerging outbound phenomenon. Keeping the potential of the Indian outbound market in mind many international and national tourism organisations/boards have increased their marketing and promotional strategies in India. Some have even gone a step ahead and opened tourism offices/GSAs/PSAs in the country.

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