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The visa process for Indian travelers continues to ease. Over the past few months, many countries, including Thailand, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka, have announced visa waivers for Indian passport holders. And for good reason.
India is emerging as a key player in outbound tourism with annual growth of 11%. “Our data indicates increased interest in countries with visa-free, easy visa, and e-visa options,” Rajeev Kale, president and country head, Holidays, MICE, Visa at Thomas Cook (India) had previously told Skift.
The ease of obtaining visas has also led to an increase in Indians leaning toward short getaways, like weekend trips, called ‘minications’.
The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs has fully rolled out the e-visa system for Indians on October 28 this year. It is meant for travelers who want to apply for short-term visits for tourism, business, leisure, medical purposes, and more. The new system was soft launched and beta tested in August 2023. By the end of October 2024, a total of more than 7,000 e-visas were issued to Indian travelers.
The Philippines also allows Indian nationals holding Japanese, American, Australian, Canadian, Schengen, Singapore, or UK visas or permanent residence permits to enter the country visa free.
U.S. Super Saturdays: The U.S. Embassy in Delhi and Consulates in Mumbai, Kolkata, and Hyderabad operated this Saturday as part of its Super Saturdays initiative. The United States’ India mission has been trying to reduce visa wait times. Under this initiative, the country’s Embassy and Consulates in India accommodate applicants requiring in-person visa interviews on Saturdays.
Mark McGovern, Consul General at the U.S. Embassy New Delhi said that this year, more than one million visas across India have already been processed.
Last week, South Africa announced that it will implement a new electronic travel agreement visa system, phasing out its previous e-visa system.
After Malaysia announced visa-free entry for Indian and Chinese travelers, it saw a 155% year-on-year increase in travelers from the two countries in the January-June period this year.
Sri Lanka launched a free visa program for travelers from 7 countries. As a result, in the first six months of 2024, total tourists to Sri Lanka grew nearly 62% year-on-year.
Air India Adds 100 More Aircraft to Airbus Order Book
Air India, on Monday, confirmed an order for 100 Airbus aircraft — 10 widebody A350s and 90 narrowbody A320 Family jets. This new order builds on last year’s record-breaking agreement for 470 aircraft from Airbus and Boeing, taking Air India’s Airbus tally to 350 planes, reported Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia.
The aircraft order are part of a broader transformation plan, Vihaan.AI, aimed at restoring the airline’s legacy and positioning it as a global leader. Having received six A350s so far, Air India currently has an order pending of 344 new aircraft with Airbus. The A350s are already flying non-stop routes from India to London and New York.
“We see a clear case for Air India to expand its fleet beyond the 470 aircraft ordered last year,” said N. Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Sons in a release. “These additional 100 Airbus aircraft will help us connect India to every corner of the world.”
However, this Air India transformation isn’t limited to aircraft. The airline has revamped its brand, introduced new business-class cabins, and modernized cabin crew uniforms — all aimed at delivering a world-class flying experience.
Wyndham Debuts Wyndham Garden Hotel Brand in India
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts has opened its first Wyndham Garden hotel in India: the 81-key Wyndham Garden Sonipat Murthal in Haryana. With this, the hospitality chain has debuted the new brand in India. This marks the ninth brand launched by the hospitality chain in the country.
The development comes a few weeks after it announced its eighth brand in India – Microtel by Wyndham. For Microtel, Wyndham entered into a development agreement with NILE Hospitality. Wyndham plans to open 40 hotels under Microtel in India by 2031.
Wyndham is planning an expansion of its operations in the country. It is focusing on midscale brands in India to cater to the growing demand for such accommodations.
IndiGo Announces Daily Bengaluru-Ayodhya Flights
Budget airline IndiGo has announced daily direct flights between Bengaluru and Uttar Pradesh’s Ayodhya starting December 31. It is also set to resume its daily flights between Bengaluru and Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh.
The decision has come amid growing religious travel in India. The Uttar Pradesh government has launched about 500 projects with an investment of more than INR 850 billion ($10.2 billion) to develop religious and spiritual tourism spots across the state as it is expecting its annual tourist footfall to reach 850 million by 2028.
How Agoda Thinks Indians will Travel in 2025
Online travel agency Agoda has shared seven trends that it believes will dominate the travel plans for Indians next year. Based on a survey, Agoda has said that traveling with family will be a key travel trend. It also noted that for 80% of the travelers, relaxation is the inspiration for vacation.
Agoda also noted that Indian travelers are emerging as tech savvy, using travel apps when booking their trips. Budget continues to be a key consideration for Indians, and is the most important factor for 70% of travelers. The OTA has also noted a rise in desire for borderless working or digital nomads, as travelers wish to combine work with leisure.
Indians are looking at recommendations from friends, personal interests, great value deals, and social media for inspiration for new deals. Theme parks are also a key attraction, as over 5% of the surveyed Indians saying that they are planning trips specifically for theme park adventures.
Vietjet Thailand to Launch Mumbai-Bangkok Service
Vietjet Thailand has announced direct flights between Mumbai and Bangkok starting December 23. The airline will operate daily flights between the two destinations.
The airline is expanding its operations in India. In October, it started operating weekly flights from Bangkok to Bodh Gaya in Bihar.
