Keeping at bay the fear of new COVID-19 demand, Indian travellers are tapping their pent-up demand. South Asian island nation Maldives is the top destination for Indian wanderers in terms of international travel, this is followed by Thailand and the United Arab Emirates as their next favourite travel destination, data from travel portal Agoda shows. For Indian travellers, domestic travel, however, remained the top choice for vacationing.
Apart from the above mentioned nations, Switzerland, Indonesia, France, Singapore, the United States, United Kingdom, Greece and Turkey ranks among top destinations for Indian travellers. Indians are seeking out warmer climates in the festive season, Agoda said. And its South Asian counterparts from Malaysia, Indonesia and Philippines are flocking to cooler weather such as the United Kingdom and the United States, it added.
Countries that eased travel restrictions after the COVID-19 pandemic eased saw a rush in tourists, while the ones that maintained restrictions with outbreak of newer cases saw a decline. For instance, Japan, China and Hong Kong were among the top travel destinations in 2019 ie before the pandemic, however they did not make the cut of top travel choices since the respective governments maintained a closed border policy, according to Agoda.
Tourists were quick to move to alternatives such as France, Turkey, Germany and the United Arab Emirates, as these countries emerged as top destination choices. Switzerland, famously known for rich milky chocolate and mesmerising alpine scenery, has etched itself into the top 10 destination list for all markets, the data showed.
The surge in travel is also because May is the festive season and is popular among travellers across Southeast Asia. “For many regions, the Eid celebration this year marks the first time since the onset of the pandemic that Muslims are able to travel freely, reunite and celebrate following the easing of travel restrictions,” Agoda said.