Queries for travel to a variety of overseas destinations such as the Maldives, Russia, Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates are growing 35-85% month-on-month as many countries are welcoming back Indian travellers subject to vaccination or other conditions, said industry executives.
Destinations such as Maldives, Croatia, South Africa, Switzerland, Russia, Lebanon, Germany, Ukraine, UAE, Turkey and Iceland have started allowing non-essential travel, subject to vaccination or other conditions.
India’s biggest online travel portal, MakeMyTrip, has seen a 35% jump in searches for international leisure packages in July compared to that in the previous month, with the Maldives and Russia ranking high on the list of preferred destinations.
“Other European countries are steadily making their way into the list of the most searched international holiday packages,” said Vipul Prakash, chief operating officer, MakeMyTrip. “The scope and pace of recovery in international travel post the second wave is definitely higher as compared to the period post the first wave as a result of the global vaccination rollout. In the coming months, we are expecting a few more Southeast Asian tourist hotspots to open up for Indian travellers with specific travel restrictions.”
Corporates Waiting to Restart Tours
Thomas Cook (India) has seen a 50% week-on-week surge in search queries for travel to Europe following the acceptance of India’s Covishield vaccine by 17 European nations, the latest being France, said Rajeev Kale, the company’s country head for holidays, MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) and visa.
India’s corporates are also looking forward to…