Globally, flights to Switzerland, France and Germany have grown four times in October from a year ago, as per tour operators. But there was next to no travel from India after many international flights got suspended.
Foreign flights are still few and far between, dependent on bilateral bubble arrangements between governments, which has led to the hike in airfares. As a result, travel to closer short-haul destinations like Maldives, Dubai and Sri Lanka have also grown.
Many Indians have flocked to Dubai, which continues to be a top destination despite a hike in airfares of over 122% compared to 2019, according to tour operator Thomas Cook. The segments fuelling the demand for Dubai are families (including multi-generational families), groups of friends, millennials, young professionals, corporate R&D teams and trade associations.
Maldives continues to witness strong demand from India, which is 75% higher compared to pre-pandemic levels,…