India’s travel industry is experiencing a surge in popularity, cementing its position as a rising star among global travel hubs. booking.comThe recent report, “How India Travels 2024 – The Inbound Edit”, conducted with Accenture, highlights this exciting trend. With over 9 million foreign tourists expected to visit India in 2023, the country’s rich cultural heritage and diverse landscapes are luring travelers from across the world, with foreign exchange earnings (FEE) expected to reach US$15.3 billion in the first half of 2024. Dollar, which is 17.6%. Increase from 2023 and 5.5% increase from 2019.

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The report also reveals the key trends shaping inbound tourism and the mindset of international travellers, detailing their preferences, motivations and what they want from their experiences in India.

Geographic diversity: Many tourists (52%) now see India as their main holiday destination, while others (22%) plan to visit India along with nearby Asian countries. This shows that India is becoming the top tourist destination in Asia.

Changing source markets are changing the travel landscape: US, United Kingdom, Germany and UAE have emerged as top inbound source markets for India booking.com search data compared to 2023 reflects a shift from traditional pioneers like China, Canada and Bangladesh. Hong Kong, Australia, Italy and the Netherlands were new entrants to the top 10 inbound source markets.

Beyond metros, offbeat destinations grew in popularity: While major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Jaipur and Chennai remain popular and consistently rank among the top five cities in terms of searches, less traditional destinations are gaining traction. Offbeat destinations like Hampi and Leh are growing in popularity, showcasing India’s diverse tourism offering. Other emerging destinations like Patnitop, Pahalgam, Madikeri, Vijayawada and Khajuraho have seen a growth of 2x or more year-on-year.

Repeat visits motivated by positive experiences: Nearly half (44%) of inbound travelers have experienced India and want to visit it again. 40% are interested to visit India for the first time. Travelers aim to explore multiple destinations within India. 41% intend to visit 2-4 destinations, while 35% plan to cover 5-10 locations, demonstrating a desire for diverse experiences.

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Rise of the Digital Traveller: India’s inbound tourism has grown rapidly since 2019. Travelers are now looking for more personalized and flexible experiences, with online platforms playing a key role. Most (52%) travelers prefer to book complete travel packages, while 40% choose to book different components separately.

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