How Young India is Traveling - India Report

04.09.2024 - 08:58 / skift.com / Thomas Cook / Bulbul Dhawan

Indian Gen Z and Millennials prefer to travel in the off-peak season to avoid crowds and reduce costs, according to a report by online visa application platform Atlys.

Young travelers are attending international sports events, looking at cultural hotspots, and going on solo adventures as part of their travels. During the Olympic Games this year, the platform saw a 60% increase in visa applications from India for France. This was driven in large part by younger travelers, Atlys said.

“Understanding the preferences of younger travelers is crucial as they drive major trends in the travel industry,” said Mohak Nahta, CEO of Atlys. 

Gen Z and Millennials prefer destinations such as the UAE, Vietnam, and Egypt. On the other hand, solo travelers are preferring Egypt, Azerbaijan, and Oman. 

Interestingly, Gen Z and Millennials from Maharashtra, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh are driving outbound travel from India, Atlys said. These states have shown a significant volume of visa applications.

The Young Indian Travelers: India is a growing source of outbound tourism, as it is developing “fast-growing pools of first-time tourists,” according to consulting firm McKinsey and Company. McKinsey has also projected that India will become the fourth-largest domestic travel market in terms of spending by 2030 – it currently ranks sixth.

Earlier this year, a report by online travel agency Skyscanner had said that over 81% of Indian Gen Zs start planning their first international trips as soon as they secure a job or receive their first paycheck. 

Budget is the most important consideration for the young travelers, as more than half of the youth prefer to use their own money, including income and personal savings, for these travels. About 20% of young Indian travelers are also using schemes such as buy-now-pay-later while booking their trips. 

South Africa’s department of home affairs has announced a new preferred visa system aiming to attract Chinese and Indian travelers. The system will be implemented in January next year. 

Indian and Chinese nationals do not have visa-free access to South Africa. The new system, the Trusted Tour Operator Scheme, is expected to cut down some of the red tape around South Africa’s visa process for the nationals of the two countries. Under the scheme, approved tour operators from India and China will be able to register with the department and offer fast-tracked visas to their clients.

Meanwhile, South African Tourism has partnered with Ethiopian Airlines to offer affordable air travel to the country as part of a new campaign. The campaign offers special low airfare on Ethiopian Airlines’ routes from Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai to Cape Town and Johannesburg. 

Travel services company Thomas