Struck by wanderlust, Indians queue up to explore Europe in non-traditional seasons; visa delays expected

Summer's long gone but Europe's allure seems intact for Indian travellers.

Visa applications for European destinations have jumped year-on-year after the summer vacations as Indians unleash their wanderlust to explore Europe in autumn and winter as well.

Travel and tourism industry executives said this has stretched visa appointment timelines for many European countries, with some offering no slots at all.


For instance, no appointment slots are currently available in Delhi for Italy, Portugal and Iceland. Appointments are available after 90 days for Germany in Delhi and after 40-45 days in Mumbai, these people said. No slots are available for Norway in Mumbai and for the Netherlands in Mumbai and Delhi.

"Netherlands is a challenging destination," an industry insider said, hinting at the difficulty in getting a visa to the country.

E-visa startup Atlys said it is seeing a 67% year-on-year increase in visa applications for Europe in the post-summer months this year.

"As a result, securing visa appointment slots, particularly for popular destinations, continues to be a challenge with wait times averaging three to four weeks in some cases," said Mohak Nahta, founder and CEO of Atlys.

Besides, a celestial spectacle, due later this year, is contributing to the tourist rush to Europe. Rajeev Kale, president and country head-holidays, MICE & visa at Thomas Cook (India) Ltd, said this year offers an "unparalleled" opportunity to view the Northern Lights.

Chasing the northern lights
The Northern Lights-or aurora borealis- are caused when charged particles from the sun hit the Earth's magnetic field near the north and south poles. The solar activity this year is expected to be intense, offering the best chance of catching a more powerful show.

And Thomas Cook is making an extra effort to turn this chance into an advantage. "We have launched special Northern Light departures from major Indian cities, starting October. Given easier access and pricing for the Northern Lights, we have created unique tours that cover locations beyond the Arctic Circle, ensuring high probability of catching the Northern Lights phenomenon and where viewing is at its optimum," said Kale.

He said Thomas Cook has included locations such as Saariselka-Lapland in Finland, Tromso and Kirkenes in Norway and Kiruna in Sweden in its offerings. "We have woven in truly exceptional experiences like chasing the Northern Lights on a husky safari or onboard snow mobiles, dining in a snow hotel and local interactions with Lapland natives," he added.

Outbound travel from India continues to surge, driven by factors such as a thriving economy, rising disposable incomes and the growing propensity of Indian travellers to focus on experiences, said Rajesh Magow, co-founder and group CEO of MakeMyTrip. "Europe, like other regions of the world, has benefited from this trend. It is worth noting that travellers to Europe top the list of buyers for our 'visa rejection, full refund' feature," he said.

Air India is witnessing strong demand on European routes, both to and from India, people familiar with the matter said.

Since June, Air India has operated daily non-stop flights from Delhi to Amsterdam and Delhi to Milan, increasing frequency on the two key routes from four times a week and five times a week, respectively.

With the increased frequency to these European cities, Air India will serve mainland Europe with 80 flights a week to and from seven points--Amsterdam Schiphol, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Milan Malpensa, Paris CDG, Vienna and Zurich.

Air India will also add another flight on the Delhi-Copenhagen route, taking the frequency on the route to five times a week.

Daniel D'Souza, president and country head for holidays at SOTC Travel, said the company is witnessing an encouraging momentum for Europe and demand is up by 20%-for both the upcoming Indian festive season and the winter travel.

"We have launched special festive tours for West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Maharashtra with local language speaking tour managers accompanying the groups and local cuisine elements on tour in Europe," he said.

Virgin Atlantic has launched a direct flight between London Heathrow Airport and Bengaluru, its third destination in India. It will also launch its second daily direct service from London Heathrow to Mumbai from October. "Despite being a non-traditional leisure season, Indians are clearly pushing the boundaries and exploring Europe in autumn and winter-and this augurs well for the sector," said D'Souza.