As Indians Take To Travelling, Australia Emerges As The New Favourite

The resurgence of the Indian traveller is becoming increasingly significant on the global stage, especially in the wake of the Chinese tourist's reduced presence in the international outbound travel industry. This shift has led many countries to prioritize India as a key tourist market.

- Varuni Khosla

Australia, in particular, is witnessing a notable rebound in Indian tourists, with travel numbers catching-up with pre-pandemic levels.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, travel from India to Australia in 2023 has aligned with 2019 figures. This is in stark contrast to the sharp 65% decline in Chinese travellers due to prolonged pandemic-induced lockdowns in China.

Up to November, 3.13 lakh Indians visited Australia, compared to 4.23 lakh Chinese, who were Australia's largest source market after New Zealand before the pandemic. In the pre-pandemic year of 2019, 12.32 lakh Chinese travelled to Australia.