Global tourism boards bet big on Indian travellers to power growth

“Go for Tomorrowland. Stay for everything you didn’t plan,” exhorts the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Mumbai, tempting Indian travellers to book a year-end trip for the electronic dance music (EDM) festival that’s being held in Asia for the first time and extend their stay to catch other attractions as flights to the Southeast Asian country are “shorter” and logistics are “simpler.”

One of the world’s top EDM events, Tomorrowland is branching out from its home in Belgium to Pattaya.

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“When Tomorrowland lived solely in Belgium, that planning came with distance, cost and a certain level of commitment that kept it in the realm of aspiration for many Indian travellers,” said TAT, Mumbai. The Thailand event will be held December 11-13.

TAT joins other global tourism boards and luxury travel brands that are relying heavily on the Indian market to drive growth.

Regardless of some negative social media commentary on the behaviour of some Indian travel groups, as a cohort they are regarded as a resilient and high-spending customer base amid the global uncertainty stemming from geopolitical tensions.

Between January 1 and June 15, Thailand received about 1.16 million Indian travellers, making the country its third biggest source market, after China and Malaysia.

For 2026, the Tourism Authority of Thailand is targeting over 2.55 million Indian travellers and 97.86 billion baht ($2.97 billion) in revenue, highlighting India’s market stability and its importance to the Southeast Asian nation’s tourism ecosystem.

The United Arab Emirates has similar expectations.

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Abdulla Yousuf, director of international operations at the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), said as operating conditions normalise, the emirate remains in “close dialogue” with its airline partners including Etihad Airways and other carriers to explore opportunities for additional capacity and enhanced connectivity.

“India is a market of long-term strategic importance and the fundamentals remain strong,” said Yousuf, adding that the emirate is “well positioned” to support future growth in air traffic.

Etihad Airways is currently operating at around 80% of its global capacity while Zayed International Airport handles approximately 300 flights each day.

This month, DCT Abu Dhabi also concluded what it referred to as a C-Level trade visit from India including agencies, tour operators, and distribution partners for direct engagement with the emirate’s tourism leadership.

A year-round calendar of major concerts and sporting events, trade programmes across India and targeted campaigns are planned to drive demand.

The Indian subcontinent was Abu Dhabi’s largest source market in 2025.

June Chepkemei, CEO of the Kenya Tourism Board, said it aims to welcome over 178,000 Indian visitors in FY27, up from the estimated 150,000 in FY26 and will appeal to travellers to widen their expectations beyond wildlife and the Great Migration.

Interest in the Maasai Mara National Reserve has been going up among Indian travellers following several celebrity visits.

Chepkemei said India will continue to play a “significant” role in the tourism growth plan.

“What is particularly encouraging is that India continues to demonstrate strong and consistent demand across multiple travel segments including leisure, luxury, family travel, destination weddings, and MICE,” she said, adding that the market has also shown resilience despite challenges such as airline disruptions and geopolitical uncertainties.

Indian travellers can currently travel to the country on IndiGo, Kenya Airways, Emirates, Qatar Airways and other carriers.

Chepkemei said the Kenya Tourism Board is leveraging “data-sharing partnerships” with airlines to facilitate evidence-based market analysis, including Indian traveller arrival trends, booking patterns and destination interest metrics.

“These insights help inform route-prospecting and frequency-expansion discussions by demonstrating the growing demand for travel between the two markets,” she said.

Instagram Reels and social media posts showcasing relatively newer locales, cafes and beach stretches have also led to Sri Lanka gaining popularity.

Resplendent Ceylon, which has been recognised with a Michelin key distinction and operates luxury boutique hotels in Sri Lanka, said India business for the chain went up over 150% after the West Asia conflict commenced.

“Easier connectivity, along with Indians seeing Sri Lanka through a new lens, has amplified this,” said Chamindra Goonewardene, senior vice president for brand and marketing at the chain.

“We are very confident that there will be a further uptick and we are projecting upwards of a 100% increase for the second half of the year.”

Visitor numbers at Tokyo Skytree from India are up 120% from May 2025 to March this year, said Tetsuya Omizo, director, sales division.

Tokyo Skytree is the world’s tallest freestanding broadcasting tower at 634 metres.

“Against a backdrop of improved air links, strong interest in Japan amongst Indian travellers, and growing demand for experiential travel, visitor numbers from the Indian market are on the rise,” he said.

Indian luxury travellers have been seeking longer stays, wellness-led getaways and milestone celebrations, said Vidya Sagar, general manager at Phulay Bay, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Krabi.

“We remain optimistic about the second half of the year as we expect this momentum to continue across wellness, family travel and celebrations,” he said.