India Travel tips

India’s outbound tourism market is expected to reach $55.4 billion by 2034, annual growth of over 11%, according to a new report by Indian commerce body FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry). The market is projected to reach $18.8 billion in 2024.  

In February, the Indian government had allocated INR 24.5 billion ($293 million) to the tourism sector as part of the interim budget, a slight increase from the prior year’s initial allocation of INR 24 billion ($290 million). But the Union Budget also reduced the global promotion allocation by a staggering 97% to just INR 30 million ($361,000).

Which hotel group is coming up with the largest IPO in the history of India’s hospitality sector? Which large Indian carrier is now offering hotel booking options? Find out responses to all this and more as the Skift India Travel Podcast discusses the latest happenings in Indian travel, tourism, and hospitality in this episode.

India is experiencing a significant surge in travel activity, driven by a burgeoning middle class, increased travel expenditure, and more accessible visa policies, according to Hugh Aitken, Skyscanner’s vice president of strategic relations and development.

India’s clout in travel is booming, especially as the country’s growing middle class is poised to play a major role in the industry’s growth. India is also the world’s largest emerging outbound tourism market.

The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts looks to make a significant entry into the public market, seeking a valuation of approximately $2.5 billion in its upcoming initial public offering (IPO), as reported by Mint.

Le Travenues Technology, the parent company of Indian travel aggregator Ixigo, will be launching its initial public offering (IPO) on June 10. The company announced on Wednesday that the INR 7.4 billion ($89 million)-IPO size, includes a fresh issuance of equity shares worth INR 1.2 billion ($14.4 million) (and an offer for sale of INR 6.2 billion ($74.4 million). The IPO price band ranges from INR 88 to 93 per share.

“India is a country we’re very interested in,” Sebastien Bazin, the group chairman and CEO of Accor, said during the company’s earnings call Friday.

Indian online travel company EaseMyTrip will be focusing on growing its non-air business in fiscal 2025, Prashant Pitti, its co-founder, said during an earnings call Friday. 

The merging of Air India and Vistara seems ahead of schedule, according to reports in Indian media that cite Air India CEO Campbell Wilson’s comments at a town hall meeting with the employees.

Indian hotel chain Sarovar Hotels and Resorts managing director Ajay Bakaya has a big hurdle to cross: maintaining the quality that his hotels have historically offered. Sarovar is one of the fastest-growing hotel chains in India. The company has opened seven hotels so far this year and is looking at opening another eight to 12.

Thailand-based hotel company, Minor Hotels, has set ambitious targets for its India expansion, aiming to open 50 properties over the next decade.

Air India’s new flagship has made its debut on the international stage. On Wednesday night, Flight AI995 departed Delhi for Dubai, operated by an Airbus A350-900 for the first time. 

Indian travelers have an increased interest in weekend getaways and spiritual tourism, according to online travel agency MakeMyTrip’s first-ever travel trends report. Searches for destinations with or around religious spots increased by 97% in the last two years, the platform stated in the report, which was released on Monday.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand on Thursday hosted a group of more than 8,000 incentive visitors from India. The delegation is part of the authority’s goal of receiving at least 1.7 million Indian visitors this year, it said in a statement. 

Hyatt Hotels definitely has its eyes on India and the focus specifically is on domestic Indian leisure travelers. “The leisure travel market is primarily driven by Indians traveling within India and discovering the country,” said CEO Mark Hoplamazian during his recent visit to the country. 

“Ninety percent of the success of hotel companies is linked to two things – demography and emerging middle class,” Accor chairman and CEO Sébastien Bazin said at the recent hospitality conference, HICSA 2024. This is especially true for India, he said, which has accounted for 25% of the emerging middle class in the past 10 years.

Corporate travel in India is booming – spending surged nearly 25% in 2023. And online travel companies are ramping up their efforts to profit from it.  

Air India’s ongoing transformation is one of the most closely watched developments in the aviation world – and rightfully so. The recently privatized airline, which serves a country of 1.4 billion people, is playing catch-up with its international peers. 

Air India has big ambitions: CEO Campbell Wilson said he wants to restore the carrier into a “top-tier and world-class airline” at the Skift India Summit in New Delhi on Wednesday. 

Indian nationals now receive a pre-approved visa on arrival when landing in Dubai, provided they fly in with Emirates. Emirates is the city’s national carrier and one of the world’s largest airlines, and currently serves nine destinations in India with 167 weekly flights.