Steady rise in Indians visiting overseas tourist spots: Report
What's the story
The outbound tourism from India is on the rise, going by the steady year-on-year increase in visa applications in the last few years, a report has said. The US, the UK, and China were among the top tourist destinations for which the maximum visa applications were received in the last two years, said the report by VFS Global, an outsourcing and technology services firm.
Visa applications
10% increase in visa applications from India in 2017
There was a 10% increase in visa applications from India in 2017 at 4.7mn compared to 4.3mn applications in 2016, the report said. Top five destinations for which visa applications were processed (in 2016, 2017) were the US, Malaysia, the UK, Canada, and China, according to the data. The report said visa applications for Thailand witnessed the sharpest increase in 2017 compared to 2016.
Emerging tourist destinations
Emerging tourist destinations showed positive trend
Schengen (European) destinations continued to be popular among Indians. Emerging tourist markets like Czech Republic, Turkey, and Japan also witnessed growth, the report said. "Emerging destinations showed a positive trend in 2017, with significantly more applications processed this year," it added. "New trends among Indian travelers have resulted in many of these destinations becoming increasingly keen to woo the Indian traveler," the report said.