Published on September 30, 2025
US, Canada, UK, Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Singapore, Kuwait, and Oman witnessed a surge successful Indian tourer arrivals successful 2024, driven by rising disposable incomes, improved aerial connectivity, and increasing liking among young professionals and families seeking leisure, cultural, and business recreation experiences abroad. The operation of charismatic tourism offerings, beardown diaspora connections, and easier recreation processes encouraged a grounds number of Indians to research these cardinal world destinations, making outbound recreation a important inclination successful 2024.
In 2024, nan UAE retained its position arsenic nan astir celebrated world destination for Indian travellers, followed by Saudi Arabia, nan US, Thailand, Singapore, nan UK, Qatar, Canada, Kuwait, and Oman. Collectively, these apical 10 countries accounted for astir 71.1% of each outbound trips by Indian nationals, reflecting a beardown penchant for established world destinations offering leisure, business, and taste experiences.
Leisure and recreation remained nan superior logic for Indians travelling abroad, making up 42.5% of full departures. Trips to sojourn family and friends overseas accounted for 34.6%, highlighting nan enduring value of diaspora connections. Business and master recreation contributed 14.9% of departures, while pilgrimage, education, and different purposes accounted for 3.9%, 2.4%, and 1.4% respectively. The information underscores nan divers motivations down Indian outbound travel, pinch leisure and societal visits continuing to dominate.
Over nan past 3 decades, Indian outbound recreation has knowledgeable singular growth. Departures roseate from conscionable 1.9 cardinal successful 1991 to 30.8 cardinal successful 2024, reflecting a compound yearly maturation complaint of 8.7%. While nan COVID-19 pandemic caused a crisp 73% diminution successful 2020, nan assemblage rebounded strongly, signaling a 152.6% summation successful 2022. By 2023, world departures exceeded pre-pandemic levels astatine 27.8 million, and 2024 saw continued maturation of 10.7% complete nan erstwhile year, signalling a robust betterment and rising appetite for world recreation among Indians.
Several factors person driven this description . Higher disposable incomes, wider aerial connectivity, and accrued vulnerability to world recreation destinations done integer platforms person each encouraged Indians to research overseas opportunities. Simplified visa processes, competitory recreation packages, and world tourism promotions person further supported this growth, making overseas recreation much accessible and appealing.
Analysing traveller demographics, nan bulk of outbound travellers successful 2024 were from nan working-age population. The 25-34 property group accounted for 27.4% of departures, followed by nan 35-44 property group astatine 24.5%. Male travellers represented 65.8%, while females made up 34.1%, showing dependable maturation successful female information compared to earlier years. This highlights nan expanding domiciled of young professionals and women successful shaping nan patterns of Indian outbound travel.
Examining destination-specific trends, nan UAE remained nan clear favourite, pinch 7.8 cardinal Indian travellers visiting successful 2024, representing 25.2% of full departures. This marks dependable maturation from 6.3 cardinal successful 2019 and 7.2 cardinal successful 2023. Saudi Arabia retained nan 2nd spot pinch 3.4 cardinal visitors, up from 3 cardinal nan erstwhile year. The US continued arsenic nan 3rd astir visited country, hosting 2.1 cardinal Indian travellers, though its stock of full departures slipped somewhat from 7.3% successful 2023 to 6.9% successful 2024. Thailand knowledgeable a beardown rebound successful 2024, rising to 4th spot pinch 1.9 cardinal Indian visitors, compared pinch 1.4 cardinal nan twelvemonth before, signalling renewed liking successful Southeast Asia for leisure travel.
Other destinations, including Singapore, nan UK, Qatar, Canada, Kuwait, and Oman, besides saw important Indian tourer inflows, benefiting from improved aerial connectivity, acquainted taste experiences, and divers tourism offerings. These destinations collectively bespeak a increasing diversification successful Indian outbound recreation preferences.
US, Canada, UK, Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Singapore, Kuwait, and Oman saw a surge successful Indian visitors successful 2024, driven by young professionals and families seeking leisure, cultural, and business travel, supported by rising incomes and amended connectivity.
The trends from 2024 show that Indian nationals are progressively seeking a operation of leisure, family visits, master engagements, and taste exploration. With sustained growth, rising incomes, and enhanced world connectivity, Indians are expanding their recreation horizons, making outbound tourism a vibrant and evolving conception of nan country’s broader recreation ecosystem.