As outbound tourism from India continues to grow, the Asia-Pacific region is reaping the benefits of simplified visa policies, good air connectivity and diverse offerings that appeal to both FITs and family travellers.
Several destinations including Thailand, Malaysia and Sri Lanka are currently offering visa-free entry to Indian visitors, with the Philippines the latest to hop onto the bandwagon.
“The surge in Indian outbound travel to Asia-Pacific has been greatly driven by the ease of visa. New entrants like the Philippines, for instance, witnessed a 25 to 30 per cent jump in queries following the announcement of visa-free entry,” said Aditya Tyagi, founder of Luxe Escape.
“Travellers from India are increasingly seeking immersive cultural experiences, adventure activities, culinary trails and even sporting events in the Asia-Pacific region,” Tyagi noted.
Australia is another destination which has reaped the benefits after simplifying its online visa process for Indian travellers.
“This has given Indians greater confidence in planning their trips, and we have seen a clear increase in numbers. Adventure in particular is a major attraction; where nearly 40 per cent of our Indian clients specifically seek thrilling experiences,” said Prateek Wadhwa, director, Dreamtrip4U.
For Wadhwa, destinations such as the Great Barrier Reef and Cairns have become especially popular for diving and snorkelling.
Chennai-based Sriharan Balan, managing director of Madura Travel Service shared that his company is planning to open an office in Sydney to catch up with the demand
“We are hiring Tamil-speaking drivers and guides to cater to our guests. We have student groups who are visiting Australia in November and January, while destinations like Tasmania, Cairns and Canberra are also climbing the popularity charts,” he added.
According to a Mastercard Economics Institute’s 2025 Travel Trend Report, Indian tourists are exploring a wider range of destinations. Supported by an expanding middle class and new direct flights, Hanoi and Bali have joined Abu Dhabi as top choices for Indian travellers.
According to the statistics from the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism, 387,117 Indian tourists visited the destination in the first seven months of 2025, a growth of 142.5 per cent compared to the same period last year.
“With direct connectivity between South India and Vietnam improving, we are seeing a growing interest of both leisure and incentive segments in the destination. Vietjet has also recently announced new direct flights connecting Hyderabad and Bengaluru to Ho Chi Minh City which will boost business traffic,” said Sunil Kumar, president, Travel Agents Association of India.
At present, Vietnam Airlines operates 21 weekly flights from Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad. Meanwhile, Vietjet – which first launched direct flights from Mumbai to Vietnam in 2022 – now has 10 direct routes connecting the two nations.
