India Outbound Insights

India Travel Market

2025 and 2026 data · Updated October 2026

32.8M

Indians travelled abroad in 2025

A strong rebound in international travel

Indian outbound travel continues to gain momentum, with 32.8M travellers in 2025, reflecting growing aspirations, better connectivity and increased spending power.

  • +6.3%vs 2024
  • +22.0%vs 2019

Key numbers

Scale

US$3.92TGDP 2025-26, world's 6th largest economy
US$41.7BIndia's total travel market, 2025, up 1% on 2024

Wealth & spend

US$16.4BSent abroad for travel, FY2025-26
871,700Millionaire households, up 90% since 2021

Travellers

52.3%Aged 25 to 44
43.4%Travel for leisure

Access

13.9MNew passports issued in 2025
27Countries now visa-free for Indians, up from 16 in 2019

Sources: Ministry of Tourism · IMF WEO Apr 2026 · Phocuswright · RBI · Hurun India Wealth Report 2025 · Ministry of External Affairs

When they travel

Monthly departures, millions
2.0 2.4 2.8 3.2 JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 2.48 3.03 2.92
2.0 2.4 2.8 3.2 JanMarMayJulSepNov 2.48 3.03 2.92
View data
Monthly departures, millions20252024
Jan2.752.58
Feb2.482.31
Mar2.572.45
Apr2.882.57
May3.032.97
Jun2.562.47
Jul2.532.39
Aug2.872.75
Sep2.922.76
Oct2.722.43
Nov2.652.54
Dec2.852.70
  • May & Sep

    Busiest months. May crossed 3M departures for the first time.

  • +12%

    Growth in April and October 2025, the fastest of any month.

  • −22.5%

    April 2026 against April 2025, as West Asia airspace closed.

Source: Ministry of Tourism, Annual Tourism Snapshot 2025 (revised June 2026) and Monthly Tourism Snapshot April 2026 (provisional)

Where they go

2025

Top destinations, share of departures

  1. 1UAE 26.3%
  2. 2Saudi Arabia 10.3%
  3. 3Thailand 6.8%
  4. 4USA 6.1%
  5. 5Singapore 4.7%

Where they fly from

  1. Delhi 22.6%
  2. Mumbai 19.9%
  3. Bengaluru 8.3%
  4. Kochi 7.4%

Who gained, who lost

Change in Indian departures, 2025 vs 2024

  • Vietnam ▲ +56.1%
  • Japan ▲ +37.1%
  • Thailand ▲ +16.7%
  • Malaysia ▲ +13.3%
  • China ▲ +12.9%
  • USA ▼ −6.1%
  • Italy ▼ −7.0%
  • Canada ▼ −16.8%
  • Turkey ▼ −39.7%

Vietnam added more than 220,000 Indian travellers in one year. Short-haul, visa-easy Asia is winning; Canada and Turkey fell sharply.

Source: Ministry of Tourism, Annual Tourism Snapshot 2025 (revised June 2026). Growth calculated from the report's country tables.

Who travels

2025

Why they travel

43.4% 34.1% 14.6%
  • Leisure 43.4%
  • Diaspora & friends/family 34.1%
  • Business 14.6%
  • Pilgrimage 3.7%
  • Others 1.3%
  • Not classified 2.9%

Age

52.3% 23.8% 18.8%
  • 25 to 44 52.3%
  • 45 to 64 23.8%
  • Under 25 18.8%
  • 65 and over 5.2%

Gender

65.9% 34.1%
  • Men 65.9%
  • Women 34.1%

Source: Ministry of Tourism, Annual Tourism Snapshot 2025. Revised June 2026. 2.9% of trips are not classified by purpose.

Where demand comes from

63%

of outbound travellers booked through agents come from non-metro cities

Fastest-growing source cities

  • Ahmedabad
  • Lucknow
  • Kochi
  • Amritsar
  • Pune

Millionaire households by city

  1. Mumbai 142,000
  2. New Delhi 68,200
  3. Bengaluru 31,600
  4. Ahmedabad 26,800
  5. Kolkata 26,600

45% of these households name travel as their top hobby.

Sources: TravClan India Outbound Travel Index 2025 (booking data from its travel agent network) · Mercedes-Benz Hurun India Wealth Report and Luxury Consumer Survey 2025

Online India

From scroll to booking
958M

Active internet users in 2025. 57% of them live in rural India, growing four times faster than urban users.

57%

Of India's travel spend was booked online in 2025, US$24.0B of US$41.7B. Forecast to reach 62% by 2029.

  1. 1Inspire

    Social video sparks the idea

    90%

    say social media shapes where they go abroad

    53%

    rate YouTube travel vlogs the most influential source

  2. 2Plan

    Research online, check with a person

    68%

    likely to use AI to plan their next trip; 33% already do

    59%

    still consult a travel agent by phone or in person

  3. 3Book

    Mostly online, often hybrid

    57%

    of travel spend booked online

    58%

    mix online booking with offline advice

Sources: IAMAI Internet in India 2025 · Phocuswright India Travel Market Essentials 2026 · MMGY Global 2025 · FINN Partners 2025 · Agoda 2026 Travel Outlook · Thomas Cook India Holiday Report 2025. Surveys use different samples.

India Travel Market

2026 Outlook

What to watch in 2026

  • 2%

    Lower TCS (Tax Collected at Source) on overseas tour packages from 1 April 2026, down from 5% and 20%

  • +13%

    India travel market forecast to grow to US$47.2B in 2026

  • −16%

    Travel spend abroad fell in March 2026 as West Asia airspace closed

  • 27

    Visa-free countries for Indians, up from 16 in 2019

Sources

Union Budget 2026-27 · Phocuswright · RBI · Ministry of External Affairs

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