India Outbound - November - December 2023

In this issue

Greetings from Team 𝙄𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙖 𝙊𝙪𝙩𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙.

The November-December 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯 issue of 𝙄𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙖 𝙊𝙪𝙩𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 is out. Here we are at the end of another year! This year has seen the emergence of several new trends in travel in India. From wellness and sustainable tourism to digital nomadism and multi-generational travel, even though Indians chose to travel differently, but travel they did. And though it is hardly a new trend, the year 2023 can certainly be called the year of luxury travel for Indian outbound travel market. Thus, it is but natural that in this last issue of India Outbound for 2023, we take an indepth look at the entire gamut as destinations, hotels and all other stakeholders of travel and tourism from around the world that have been closely watching the elite Indian travellers lay down the red carpet to tap this highly promising segment.

And talking of luxury travel, one can never leave out the GOAT luxurious destination, Jamaica. India Outbound had the privilege of visiting the Caribbean country at the invitation of Visit Jamaica for the travel show JAPEX and could only come to two conclusions. One, luxury lives in Jamaica and second, the Indian market holds limitless potential for the destination.
Continuing with the outdoors and nature, this issue also takes you to three distinct destinations in Europe – Segovia in Spain, Heidelberg in Germany and Kutaisi in Georgia – that offer a great mix of outdoors and nature trails along with urban experiences.

Other 𝑯𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒔𝒔𝒖𝒆:
Event Report: Reliving Chariots of Fire at Melbourne Marathon
Culture: Malta to host first art biennale in 2024
Film Tourism: For the Love of a Locale
Cuisine: A Food Walk in Singapore

Read the November-December 2023 issue for features on several other destination reports, experiences and interviews with travel industry leaders.

Indian Luxury Travel Market: HIGH HOPES FROM HIGH END

One of the niches of outbound travel from India that has blossomed smartly, even during the Covid-19 pandemic, is the luxury travel market. Destinations, hotels, airlines and all other stakeholders of travel and tourism from around the world are closely watching the elite Indian travellers and laying down the red carpet to tap this highly promising segment.

10+ mins

Indulge in Luxury: Your Exclusive Guide to High-End Tourism in Azerbaijan

For the Indian travellers seeking luxury in any segment, from Destination Weddings and MICE to leisure and family vacations, Azerbaijan offers a vast variety of options and experiences. Come, be spoilt like never before! Come to Azerbaijan, the Land of Luxury.

4 mins

JAMAICA: LUXURY LIVES HERE

The Caribbean island nation of Jamaica is one of the top preferences for tourists from all over the world seeking luxury. Despite its distance, the destination is also attracting greater traction from Indian luxury travellers who head to Jamaica for weddings, anniversaries or just to pamper themselves with a variety of luxury experiences, be it in the air, on the land or in the water.

7 mins

After booming summer, Atlantis Dubai expects bumper winter

India is one of the top 10 markets for luxury hospitality group Atlantis Dubai. Keen to grow the market further, Neil Shah, Account Director, Sales, Atlantis Dubai, tells India Outbound that he is seeing a lot of repeat Indian visitors who are now coming for longer stays and are spending more.

3 mins

World's Top Luxury Trains

Replete with personal valets, grand suites and opulent amenities, luxury train travel is becoming one of the most sought-after ways to see the world with the rising popularity of slow travel.

5 mins

RELIVING CHARIOTS OF FIRE AT MELBOURNE MARATHON

One of the biggest annual athletics events of Australia, the Melbourne Marathon is an experience to be lived, rather than watched. Participating in this challenging race has become easier even for Marathon lovers from India and South Asia, thanks to SriLankan Airlines which has a convenient, daily direct connection from Colombo to Melbourne.

5 mins

Savouring Luxury with SriLankan Airlines

Almost all airlines come with a business class cabin, with equipment and amenities that are now fairly standard. What separates one airline from another is the personal touch and the service of the airline staff. Here, few can match the warmth and welcome extended by SriLankan Airlines.

2 mins

Like Sri Lanka, SriLankan Airlines is all about outdoors & nature

Like every year since 2017, this year, too, SriLankan Airlines continued as a Title Sponsor of the Nike Melbourne Marathon Festival, one of the largest sporting events in Australia, that saw the participation of over 45,000 people recently. In an interview with India Outbound, Saminda Perera, Head of Marketing, SriLankan Airlines, says that supporting endurance events like the marathon, gives greater visibility to the airline, not just among Australians but also the sizeable Sri Lankan and Indian diaspora.

3 mins

Segovia: Spain's Fairytale Town

One of the many tourism gems that Spain boasts of, Segovia is perhaps the dreamiest, with its amazing history that is reflected in extremely well-preserved monuments, ranging from a Roman Aqueduct to a 12th century Castle and a flamboyant 16th century Gothic Cathedral.Varsha Singh

6 mins

Full recovery in leisure traffic, business yet to catch up

Finnish flag carrier FinnAir was amongst the worst hit by the Russia-Ukraine War. However, the airline's leisure traffic from India has recovered fully to the pre-pandemic levels and recovery in business travel is progressive, Romu Sakari, General Manager, Finnair tells India Outbound.

2 mins

Indian travellers biggest consumers of adventure in South Africa

With an 82 pc increase in arrivals from India so far in 2023 and a rapidly growing MICE industry, South African Tourism is set to reach the 2019 arrivals this year, Neliswa Nkani, Hub Head Middle East, India & South East Asia of South African Tourism, tells India Outbound.

3 mins

INDIAN TRAVEL TRADE ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT DESTINATION JAMAICA

With a clear focus on the potential that the Indian outbound travel market holds, Jamaica Tourist Board invited Indian travel trade and media to participate for the first time in JAPEX, the key tourism fair in the country. The bet on the Indian market seems to have paid off for Jamaica as almost every travel agent from India said that the destination held immense promise for Indian visitors and that the destination would be integrated in their itineraries shortly.

9 mins

We aspire to be the gateway for Indian travellers to US

As most Indian travellers to the United States head to Calfornia and more specifically the Silicon Valley, San Francisco International Airport aspires to be the key gateway for Indians, Kevin Bumen, Chief Financial & Commercial Officer at SFO tells India Outbound. Bumen adds that the number of Indian arrivals at SFO has already risen 80 pc over 2019 peak.

2 mins

India Among Focus Markets for Preferred Hotels & Resorts

Preferred Hotels & Resorts offers not only a platform to the 650 luxury hotels in 85 countries that are its members, but it also helps them move towards critical areas such as sustainability. Lindsey Ueberroth, CEO, Preferred Hotels & Resorts, who was in India recently tells India Outbound that the Beyond Green label of Preferred Hotels & Resorts has extremely stringent membership criteria which are regularly monitored and enforced. She adds that India is one of the most important outbound travel markets for members of Preferred Hotels & Resorts.

3 mins

48 hours in Kutaisi

A compact town split by the Rioni River, Kutaisi, the capital of the Imereti region of Georgia, is a window into the country's history, culture, art and architecture and way of life.

6 mins

Heidelberg: Lessons in History & Heritage

There are many student towns in the world but few can rival the small German city of Heidelberg's unique connection with education and youth. While hostels and libraries are commonplace, Heidelberg is perhaps the only centre of learning in the world to have had a prison for students!

5 mins

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India Outbound Magazine Description:

India Outbound is a magazine promoting Foreign Destinations in India. India is one of the fastest growing tourism markets not only in France but all over Europe. In 2010, over 12 million Indians travelled overseas as against 5.5 million visitors to India...