Indian footfalls to Australia surges; India becomes 5th largest inbound mkt for Australian tourists

Mumbai, Mar 26 (PTI) Australia witnessed over 6 per cent on-year growth in Indian tourists arrivals in January this year, with 26,200 Indians travelling to the country, Tourism Australia said on Tuesday.

Moreover, India has also significantly improved its ranking to be the fifth largest inbound market for Tourism Australia in 2024, from seventh in 2019.

"In January we did extremely well with 26,200 Indians travelling to Australia, compared to 24,700 during the same month in 2019, a growth of 6.07 per cent.

"If we calculate from February 2023 till January 2024, the total number of Indians visiting Australia has crossed the 4,00,000 arrivals milestone to reach 4,02,200," Tourism Australia Country Manager - India and Gulf - Nishant Kashikar told PTI.

This growth in footfalls is mainly due to Tourism Australia's joint endeavours with its airlines, key distribution partners, and over 5,000 Aussie Specialist Agents in India to drive consideration and conversions, he said.

"The number of airlines connecting New Delhi, Bengaluru and Mumbai has gone up to 28 flights per week from 8 flights in 2019," said Kashikar.

Also, the electronic lodgement of visa application, which has made the visa application process easy and more convenient, helped in more Indians visiting Australia, he said.

Moreover, the travel trend has completely changed for Indians after the Covid-19 pandemic as there is a generational shift with the age of travellers going down, also the attitude of Indians have become more splurging and people have become globetrotters wanting to attend festivals, sporting events, concerts among others, Kashikar noted.

"This resurgence of Indian tourists to Australia is a testament to the resilience and rebound of international travel, particularly from one of our most valued markets.

"This is a clear indicator of the strong desire for travel and exploration among the Indian travellers, who are drawn to Australia's unique landscapes, wildlife, and the multicultural vibrancy of our cities. Going forward in 2024, we expect the same momentum to continue from India," he added. PTI SM DRR