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Tourism

ASEAN Destinations Adapt to India's Outbound Travel Boom

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

ASEAN destinations are transforming their tourism offerings to tap into India's growing outbound travel market, with young Indian travellers prioritising meaningful experiences over material possessions. Key industry leaders gathered at the ASEAN-India Forum, hosted by the Tourism Authority of Thailand, to strengthen tourism marketing collaboration and unlock new business opportunities. The forum aimed to elevate ASEAN as a "Dream Destination" for Indian travellers, who make up one of the world's fastest-growing travel markets, with nearly 6 million visitors to ASEAN countries annually.

Key Takeaways:

  • **Indian travellers are seeking longer stays and immersive experiences**, with more than 75% of young Indian travellers prioritising travel over material goods, as noted by Santosh Kumar, Country Manager for India at Booking.com.
  • **Social media plays a significant role in Indian travel decisions**, with approximately 86% of travel choices influenced by social media, particularly Instagram and YouTube, as revealed by travel influencer Shivya Nath.
  • **Airlines are struggling with capacity-demand gaps**, with a strong year-on-year growth in Indian arrivals across Southeast Asia, but a widening gap between passenger demand and available capacity, as noted by Krid Pattanasan, secretary of the Airlines Association of Thailand.
  • **ASEAN destinations are focusing on authentic cultural exchanges and community engagement opportunities**, such as marketing lesser-known locales and promoting eco and cultural tourism, as highlighted by Undersecretary Verna Esmeralda C. Buensuceso of the Philippine Department of Tourism.
  • **Thailand has been successful in promoting Indian tourism**, with over 2 million Indian visitors in 2024, and is focusing on tailored marketing strategies, including wedding tourism, corporate events, and digital influencer campaigns, as shared by Pattaraanong Na Chiangmai, Deputy Governor for International Marketing at the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).
  • **Indian celebrity partnerships offer powerful destination marketing opportunities**, as noted by Kumar and Sharma, with successful examples such as Dubai's partnerships with cricket star Virat Kohli and actor Shah Rukh Khan.
  • **ASEAN nations are adapting to cultural preferences**, with hotels specialising in providing culturally sensitive services, such as vegetarian cuisine, traditional ceremonies, and luxurious ambience, to cater to the growing Indian wedding and honeymoon market.
  • **Collaboration is key**, with ASEAN Secretary-General Dr Kao Kim Hourn emphasising the need for inclusive, personalised, and sustainable experiences that cater to evolving traveller preferences, and Indian Ambassador to Thailand Nagesh Singh highlighting the robust modern relationship between the regions.

Statistics:

  • **Nearly 6 million Indians visit ASEAN countries annually**, making India one of the world's fastest-growing travel markets.
  • **India's outbound travel market is growing rapidly**, with a surge in multi-generational family travel from India, as noted by Nikhil Sharma, Managing Director for South Asia at Radisson Hotels and Resorts.
  • **The Indian wedding and honeymoon market is valued at $130 billion and growing by 20-25% annually**, with Thailand positioning itself to host large-scale Indian destination weddings, as highlighted by the forum's afternoon session.
  • **Over 2 million Indian visitors arrived in Thailand in 2024**, with a significant increase in arrivals expected in the coming years.
  • **Thailand has seen a 14% increase in Indian arrivals**, with a strong growth potential in the region.
  • **The number of seats available for Indian travellers has increased to over 3.1 million**, but the load factor has fallen to around 70%, as noted by Krid Pattanasan.

Sources:

  • Booking.com
  • The Tourism Authority of Thailand
  • Airlines Association of Thailand
  • Philippine Department of Tourism
  • Thai Airways International
  • Radisson Hotels and Resorts
  • Indian Express
  • Bangkok Post
  • The Hindu
  • Times of India

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