As tourists take advantage of the visa-free program, India rises to become Thailand's third-largest market
With 2.1 million visitors in 2024, Thailand has become a popular travel destination for Indians, mostly because of its visa-free status.
With 2.1 million visitors in 2024, Thailand has become a popular travel destination for Indians, mostly because of its visa-free status. This expansion has been facilitated by more flights from India and marketing campaigns, while Vietnam and Singapore are also seeing an increase in Indian visitors. Thailand's beaches, street cuisine, and visa-free travel have made it one of India's top overseas travel destinations. Since late 2023, the Thai government has been aggressively pushing a number of tourism-friendly programs to increase travel to the nation.
For what reason are Indians visiting Thailand?
According to travel news website Skift, India has risen to become Thailand's third-largest source market in 2024. A record 2.1 million Indians travelled to Thailand in 2024—nearly 30% higher than in 2023. Additionally, the number of Indian arrivals in 2024 exceeded the pre-pandemic peak of just under 2 million.Thailand's visa-free travel policy is one of the main reasons for the rise of Indian visitors visiting the country. In November 2023, Thailand announced its visa waiver programme.
How did the surge in tourism in Thailand present a chance for airlines to increase their offerings?
More airlines have begun offering flights between India and Thailand as a result of the increase. Thai VietJet is one of the new airlines that have begun to operate on the route. Flights between the two nations are being resumed by certain carriers, such as Nok Air. Another airline joining the route is Air India Express, a low-cost division of Air India. The flight schedules of IndiGo and Air India have been extended. Along with more regular departures from key cities, IndiGo has added 36 new weekly flights, including new routes like Pune to Bangkok.
Where else are Indians going?
Another well-liked travel location for Indians is Vietnam. India was the sixth-largest source of tourists visiting Vietnam in 2024, according to figures provided on Wednesday by the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism. More than half a million Indians came to the country. According to the report, "India saw tremendous growth in the last few years, increasing by 2.6 times in just two years, from 138,000 arrivals in 2022 to 501,000 in 2024." According to the report, India too had a 297 per cent rebound from pre-Covid levels.Indian visitors are another important market for Singapore. Two months ahead of schedule compared to 2023, Indian tourists reached the one million mark in October of 2024. The Singapore Tourism Board then stated that by the end of 2024, it anticipated 1.2 million Indian visitors. The Skift research also said that India was Singapore's third-largest source market, with a 12% growth.
