Bulbul Dhawan travel tips

Real estate services company JLL estimates that by the end of this year, hotel transactions in India will amount to a total of $413 million. Last year, the industry saw investments worth $401 million.

India’s wedding season is around the corner, and this year, about 4.8 million weddings are expected, according to a study by Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT). That could mean revenue of $70.4 billion.

For all the buzz around India tourism, arrivals from foreigners in the first six months of 2024 were underwhelming: just under 4.78 million. That’s nearly 10% less than arrivals of 5.3 million in the same period in 2019.

Tourism accounts for nearly a quarter of Thailand’s economy and a tenth of Turkey’s. For India, the contribution is just 5%. But the plan is now to double that contribution.

Indian online travel agency EaseMyTrip has partnered with Bank of Baroda to introduce the first co-branded travel debit card by a public sector bank in India. This is the latest in the trend of new travel cards in India. 

Goa is not ready to lose out on the destination wedding business, especially this close to the upcoming wedding season. The state has rolled back its decision to increase the fees to hold private events, including weddings.  

Coldplay is coming to Mumbai in January, and the hotels are ready to make money off of it. The band’s three-show event has caused hotel prices near the DY Patil Stadium to surge to INR 640,000 ($7,600) for three nights, according to prices listed on Booking.com. 

$2.8 billion: That was the international spending by Indians in July 2024. It was the highest amount in 10 months and led by growth in travel spending: Data from the latest bulletin from India’s central bank showed that Indians spent $1.7 billion for travel. Last year, Indians spent $1.4 billion. 

More Indian passengers are opting for direct international flights, according to aviation consultancy firm OAG. The firm compared data from 2019 with 2023, and found that even though India’s international air traffic last year was 600,000 lesser than 2019, the number of passengers flying directly to their destination increased by 2 million. 

Goa is developing a new cruise terminal at the Mormugao Port, a response to a 40% increase in cruise passengers during the 2024 fiscal year and a 15% increase in calls by cruise vessels.

A new report by payment network Collinson International has shown that Millennials in India are spending an average of $6,031 on travel annually, more than any other generation. The next highest is Gen X at $3,059, followed by Gen Z ($2,622) and Boomers ($2,600).

GMR Airports Infrastructure Limited has entered into an agreement with Fraport AG Frankfurt Airport Services Worldwide to acquire Fraport’s 10% stake in the Delhi International Airport. With this, GMR will hold a 74% equity stake in the airport, while the remaining 26% stake will continue to be with Airports Authority of India (AAI). 

Amid reports of increasing demand for travel for the upcoming festive season, Skift reached out to travel services companies to understand the trends in festive season travel.

Indian carriers accounted for more than 45% of the international traffic to and from India during the April-June quarter. As compared to pre-pandemic figures, the share of Indian carriers in international traffic increased by over 10 points. 

The Indian hospitality sector is set to grow at an annual rate of 10.5% over the next three years, according to the latest projections by trading services firm Axis Securities. The growth is expected to be driven by domestic travelers, foreign visitors, and the MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) segment. 

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.

India’s Tourism and Hospitality Skill Council (THSC) has entered into a three-year partnership with global payments gateway Visa. The agreement is valued at around $1 million, with the aim to skill at least 20,000 youth for tourism-related jobs, according to the ministry of skill development. 

Did you know: In 2022, the number of domestic tourists who visited Indian pilgrimage sites was more than India’s population – 1.43 billion. 

Over 80% of Indians have either had or are planning a destination wedding, a survey conducted by search aggregator Skyscanner showed. This preference is strongest among Gen Z, with about 50% of that group indicating that they are considering a destination wedding. This figure is 33% among Millennials. 

What can India and U.S. do to boost tourism? According to the first Indo-U.S. Tourism and Hospitality Summit held by the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce in Delhi on Friday, the answer is speedier visas and more direct flights.

Branded hotel room signings in India during the April to June quarter surged by nearly 40% from the same period in 2023, according to data by real estate services company JLL. During the quarter, over 9,700 new keys across 82 branded hotels were signed, while another 50 hotels opened during this period.