Skift Take
In recent years, India has been focusing on developing tourist destinations, and as part of plans to diversify its offerings to attract different types of travellers, adventure tourism is catering to the growing demand.
Bulbul Dhawan
The Indian government is looking at adventure tourism as a way to promote destinations across the country. Earlier this month, for example, newly appointed Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat skydived in Haryana on World Skydiving Day.
It is unclear whether this was an effective way to promote the sport in India, but he used the opportunity to convey that his government is committed to developing the states of Goa and Madhya Pradesh as skydiving hubs.
Speaking in Parliament this week, Shekhawat said the government was promoting adventure tourism as part of its efforts to promote India’s tourist destinations and had also developed a national strategy on adventure tourism.
Adventure Tourism in India: Adventure tourism in India is still a less explored area but is gaining importance.
Aerial adventures: Bangalore and Himachal Pradesh offer skydiving for enthusiasts. Land adventures: Mountaineering, skiing, rock climbing, bungee jumping and caving are well-developed adventure tourism activities across the country. Water adventures: India has a strong inland water system and a long coastline that offers rafting, canoeing, kayaking, scuba diving, surfing and river cruises.
The government is also focusing on Ladakh as an adventure tourism destination with activities like mountain biking, trekking, rafting, ice trekking, Bactrian camel riding, mountaineering and camping.
Funding development of tourism circuits: India is developing tourism circuits in Northeast India and Jammu and Kashmir and including adventure tourism destinations like Tawang, Ladakh, Darjeeling and Sikkim in these circuits.
Between 2014 and 2019, the Government of India allocated a cumulative INR 8.16 billion (US$ 97.5 million) for the development of tourist routes in Northeast India, of which INR 7.83 billion (US$ 93.5 million) was disbursed.
The government has approved 5.88 billion Indian rupees ($70.2 million) for development of tourist routes in Jammu and Kashmir. From this allocation, 5.18 billion Indian rupees ($61.9 million) has been disbursed.
India’s budget focuses on tourism in Bihar and Odisha
The Indian government on Tuesday released its full budget for 2024-25. While travel industry executives’ expectations were not met, the government announced plans to build a Vishnupad temple in Gaya and a Mahabodhi temple in Bodh Gaya in Bihar to boost spiritual tourism.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also said a comprehensive development plan would be implemented to develop Rajgir, an important religious destination in Bihar.
The government is also committed to developing Odisha as a major tourist destination by developing and promoting temples, monuments, wildlife sanctuaries, natural landscapes and beaches.
80% of Airbnb bookings by Indians in Thailand are made by young people
According to Airbnb data, bookings by Indian guests in Thailand have increased by 60%, and the surge is primarily driven by younger travellers, with Gen Z and millennials accounting for 80% of Airbnb bookings by Indian guests.
India is one of Thailand’s largest source markets, and the Southeast Asian country is hoping to attract 1.7 million Indian tourists this year. More than 842,000 Indians have visited Thailand through May this year, making India the fourth-largest source market so far. This figure represents an increase of more than 39 percent compared to the same period last year.
According to Airbnb data, searches for accommodation in Thailand increased by more than 200% among Indian travellers during the Holi and Easter long weekend in March this year.
Thailand has waived visa requirements for Indians until November this year and is also considering whether to extend this provision permanently to Indian travellers.
Air India to deploy A350 jets on New York, Newark routes
Air India, the former national carrier, is set to introduce its flagship A350-900 aircraft on its Delhi-New York JFK and Delhi-Newark routes. The A350 will begin operating on the Delhi-New York route from November 1, while the Delhi-Newark route will begin on January 2 next year.
Air India said in a statement that the introduction of the aircraft will mark the introduction of the airline’s Premium Economy cabin class on these routes. Apart from this, the aircraft will also have Business Class and Economy Class. The airline already operates a three-class configuration on flights between India and San Francisco.
MakeMyTrip and the rise of the middle class
A growing middle class and rising disposable income in India are boosting spending on discretionary services, while a growing lower-middle class is fuelling domestic travel, MakeMyTrip group CEO Rajesh Magoo said in an earnings call on Tuesday.
Magou highlighted that the younger generation is driving a cultural change to take more frequent vacations, and noted that the long-term outlook for international travel from India is bright, with a surge in first-time travelers, especially to emerging countries such as Turkey and Kazakhstan, which are seeing strong growth in Indian tourism.
MakeMyTrip reported record total bookings, revenue and adjusted operating income for the first quarter of fiscal 2025, with total bookings exceeding $2.4 billion, up 22% year over year. Adjusted operating income for the period ending June 30, 2024 increased 30% year over year to $39 million.
“We achieved these strong figures despite the general election in April delaying the recovery of the leisure travel season,” Magou said.
Port Blair port opens for e-visa holders
The port of Port Blair in the Andaman Islands is now the official point of entry for Indian e-visa holders. With this development, e-visa holder travellers will be able to enter India on a yacht, superyacht or cruise via Port Blair.
Earlier, only those with regular visas issued by the Indian embassy in their home country could visit the port of Port Blair on yachts or cruises, which had discouraged many tourists from visiting the Andaman Islands.
The move is expected to boost tourism in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands: More than 175,000 tourists had visited the islands in the first four months of this year, according to data released by the union territory’s tourism department, though only about 5,500 of them were from overseas.
Photo credit: The Government of India has also formulated a National Strategy on Adventure Tourism.
