Indians Taking Multiple International Trips in a Year, Emerging Destinations on the Rise
Travel trends suggest that more Indians are choosing to take multiple trips abroad each year according to the online travel platform MakeMyTrip's recent findings. The data revealed that those taking two or more foreign trips in 2023-24 grew by 32% year over year, while three or more trips grew by 37%.
While popular favorites remained at the top of interest, new locations saw staggering increases in searches. The long-held top 10 destinations, led by the UAE, Thailand, USA, Singapore and Indonesia, still captured 64% of Indian travelers' searches. However, destinations like Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan emerged with 491% and 404% search increases respectively, showcasing their rapid ascent in popularity. Other emerging locations among Bhutanese, Hong Kong and Sri Lankan also more than doubled in search volumes.
Overall interest in the top emerging destinations collectively rose 70%, with cities like Almaty in Kazakhstan and Baku in Azerbaijan seeing extraordinary growth of 527% and 395%. Their combined contribution to searches has expanded from 10% to 14%, underscoring Indians' willingness to explore fresh global options. Factors like new direct flight routes and simpler visa processes have enhanced accessibility to formerly less familiar areas.
Impulsive travels also showed strength, with nearly half of international flights and 56% of overseas hotel bookings made within two weeks of travel. Top last-minute flight searches featured Oman, Nepal and the UAE while Qatar, Oman and Azerbaijan led for hotels. Longer booking windows prevailed for European destinations. The findings highlight positive shifts in international travel behavior and open opportunities for industry players.
