As
the holiday season approaches, favorable changes in visa policies for nearby
international destinations have fueled a surge in airfares, impacting travel
choices.
Popular
and easily accessible destinations like Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Malaysia have
become visa-free for Indian travellers, leading to a spike in demand and
subsequently driving airfares to new highs. Almost all international airlines,
with the exception of the United States, have fully resumed connections to
India. Indian carriers have also increased flights abroad for the winter
season, resulting in more competitive airfares to distant European and North
American destinations
According to a TOI report, the Delhi-Phuket
economy return this Christmas starts at Rs 50,000, significantly higher than
the average of Rs 30,000 a few months ago. In contrast, Delhi-London flights
begin at Rs 70,000, a notable reduction from the Rs 90-95,000 range seen during
the summer.
“In comparison to last year, all international airlines are now operational for routes like Delhi-Dubai, or Saudi and to London, hence airfares for these sectors are down by about 20-25%. On the other hand, airfares for popular Southeast Asian destinations like Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia have more than doubled in comparison to last year for this period,” a spokesperson for travel portal Yatra told TOI.
Anil Kalsi, Vice President of the Travel Agents Federation of India, told TOI that there is a "serious" demand for both domestic
and international destinations this winter, with Southeast Asia being
particularly popular. The visa-free status has made a significant impact, with
destinations like Thailand witnessing a doubling of Indian tourist arrivals
after granting visa exemption from November 10, 2023.
According
to Daniel D’Souza, SOTC Travel’s President & Country Head
(Holidays), visa on arrival and easy visa destinations, including Thailand,
Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi, are experiencing a 30-40%
increase in demand.
The ongoing wedding season, coupled with the
holiday travel rush, has led to increased hotel charges and airfares. Hotels in
India report strong bookings from mid-December for about a month, with room
tariffs up by 20-25%. Yatra Online's Bharatt Malik mentions a surge in
airfares by 40-50% closer to travel dates.
MakeMyTrip co-founder & group CEO Rajesh Magow notes a promising trend,
with travellers opting for an average of 6-day vacations. Both domestic and
international travel destinations are gaining traction, with a focus on leisure
destinations in India and popular international spots like Thailand, Dubai,
Singapore, and Bali.
On the domestic front, travel started picking up after Diwali this year,
with daily air travellers now in the range of 4.5 lakh, a notable increase from
the previous figures falling below 4 lakh.
