Indian tourists will be the new 'big guys' of the tourism industry.

Indians are likely to be the fourth biggest spenders on travel by 2030.

The post-pandemic revenge travel may have ended in many countries, but the urge to fly has not diminished for Indians. Outbound travel accounted for about 1% of all trips taken by Indians last year. On this trend, of the estimated 5 billion trips Indians are expected to take by 2030, 50 million will be international. India’s domestic and outbound travel spending is estimated to reach $410 billion, up 170% from $150 billion in 2019.

Tourists pose before arriving at the Taj Mahal in India. Photo: Kanigas — Tourists pose before arriving at the Taj Mahal in India. Photo: *Kanigas*

The latest report from the booking app Booking and global consulting firm McKinsey in early November indicated that Indians could be the world's fourth-biggest spending tourists by 2030. In 2019, China, the US, and Germany were the three countries spending the most on domestic and international tourism, with India ranking sixth.

The expected rise in per capita income in India in the coming time is one of the factors that will make Indian tourists spend more. About 13 million households are expected to have an income of 35,000 USD a year, up 6.5 times compared to 2 million households in 2020.

Booking and McKinsey said India has spent $200 billion over the past 10 years to improve transportation. The number of airports in the country has doubled since 2014. To prepare for growing travel demand, Indian airlines have ordered more than 1,000 aircraft, bringing the total to between 1,500 and 1,700 by 2030.

India's national carrier Air India bought 470 Airbus and Boeing planes in June as part of a $70 billion fleet expansion program.

However, the survey shows that Indians still prioritize domestic travel and travel to big cities like Delhi and Mumbai.

According to Jatin Khanna, CEO of Sarovar Portico Hotels & Resorts, Indian travelers prefer to take multiple trips instead of one or two trips per year. In 2022, 29% of Indian travelers took vacations of more than 25 days, more than travelers from countries like the US (15%), Germany (23%) or Australia (24%).

“They are open to trying unique, authentic and engaging experiences, often inspired by social media platforms,” Khanna predicts of the new trend among Indian travelers.

Anh Minh (According to CNBC )

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