The travel and tourism industry is back in business with a bang. With no restrictions in place, the country is witnessing the highest-ever number of domestic air passengers 4,35,500 in a day on December 24. This is even higher than the number registered pre-pandemic, i.e. on the same day in 2019. According to industry experts, it is expected to grow further during New year’s eve.
The rising number of group travel and the increasing interest of youth are some of the factors that are driving the domestic air travel demand, industry experts told the Indian Express.
Moreover, the rise in travel booking has led to congestion at airports. Recently things got worse at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, where travellers complained of gross mismanagement and long queues at security checks making the Civil Aviation Minister and other government agencies step in.
Besides domestic travel, the demand for short-haul international trips with ease of visa requirements and fewer restrictions have also increased. Cleartrip data says some of the most sought-after international destinations by Indians are Dubai, Bangkok, Maldives, Singapore, London, and Phuket.
Rajeev Kale, president & country head for holidays at Thomas Cook India informed IE the domestic demand has gone up by over 110 per cent during the current season due to the pent-up demand and unspent leaves. The company noted that the demand from couples and young professionals has also increased. This is resulting in a significant drop in the average consumer age by around 10 years.
Despite the positive effects of the tourism industry, the number of foreign tourists visiting India is still not as high as it was before the pandemic. According to industry experts, the number of inbound tourists is around 35 to 40 per cent of the pre-pandemic figures.
Some of the most popular domestic destinations are Kashmir, Kerala, Goa, and the Andamans. According to data collected by various travel service providers, the interest in spiritual tourism has also increased.
SOTC Travel says that the spiritual travel segment has seen a growth of over 85 per cent during the pre-pandemic period.
The number of people travelling in groups has also increased, which was not the case during the pandemic. Group booking of up to 10 people is a phenomenon which was rare pre-pandemic times.