The Evolution and Opportunities of Indian Outbound Travel in 2023

Travel is intrinsic to every human being, be it for work or leisure, but owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, the world has witnessed the emergence of altered ways of travel. Today, technology adoption has changed the way travel is searched, researched, booked, and purchased, extending to the pre-pandemic non-adopted age groups. We speak to some of our industry partners to understand how things are moving now with outbound travel.

- Gurjit Singh Ahuja

The past year, 2023, presented a unique set of challenges and opportunities for destinations worldwide, shaped by evolving traveller behaviours, market dynamics, and ongoing global events. High international airfares, currently prevalent, are definitely a dampener on travel plans for the willing and yearning Indian traveller. They play as a deterrent, forcing leisure travel to short-haul destinations, as does GST, the recently enforced TCS, long visa processing times, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and the recent Israel-Palestine disturbances.

Today, tourism boards are vying to woo Indian travellers as the power of these travellers is being noticed the world over as they seek quality travel products, newer destinations, and newer experiences, combined with their high spending power. Countries with traveller-friendly visa regimes and visas on arrival with shorter processing times have emerged as clear winners. This has even prompted countries like Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Malaysia to introduce waivers of visa fees for Indian travellers. As airline operations worldwide start returning to normalcy, it is expected that more realistic and affordable air ticket pricing will return, with the hope that outbound travel will not only bounce back but surpass pre-pandemic levels.