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Time of India
13 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Quick escapes over long trips! Indians opt for short-haul travel to Southeast Asia; demand for distant trips dips amid global tensions
AI-generated image Short-haul destinations in Asia continue to attract Indian travellers despite a decline in long-distance travel since summer due to geopolitical issues. Countries such as Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and Nepal maintain their appeal, according to travel firms. "While travellers have considered delaying or postponing plans, Southeast Asia has emerged as a go-to destination for those seeking familiar experiences. Countries like Cambodia, Vietnam, and the Philippines have seen a 50% rise in bookings compared to last year," said Manjari Singhal, chief growth and business officer at Cleartrip, quoted by the Economic Times. "Additionally, airfares to Vietnam and Indonesia have dropped, making these destinations more accessible for budget conscious holidaymakers," she added. Neeraj Singh Dev from Thomas Cook (India) and SOTC Travel noted increased demand from late bookers for destinations offering visa-free or simplified entry, including Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, Mauritius and Seychelles. "Our pipeline post reopening of schools shows continued momentum from the young professionals segment, especially for weekends and extended weekends," he added. Shivansh Kalra chose Thailand for his holiday this month, attracted by reasonable flight prices, significant discounts on luxury hotels in Bangkok and Koh Samui, and the country's visa-free policy. "Flight fares were reasonably priced, there was no hassle of visa appointments and we got great discounts on some very luxurious hotels," he said. Bharat Malik of Yatra Online attributes the sustained popularity of Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Singapore among Indian travellers to their robust tourism infrastructure, cultural significance, and accessibility. "These destinations have remained stable and unaffected by the ongoing geopolitical tensions in West Asia, making them a preferred choice at this time," he said. "Temporary airspace restrictions impacted certain long-haul routes, and flight durations increased by 2–4 hours due to rerouting of flights. Airfares rose by nearly 15–20% on certain routes. This has naturally shifted traveller interest towards more cost-effective and shorter routes," he said, also quoted by ET. Kuda Villingili Resort Maldives reports consistent bookings from India, according to commercial director Amjad Thaufeeg. "Maldives is still one of the top choices for Indian guests looking for a quick luxurious getaway and we have seen that demand stay consistent, especially from couples and families," he said. "We are also seeing advance bookings for the upcoming festive seasons, and many guests are booking earlier to secure their preferred villas and experiences," he added. Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays and public holidays . AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Time of India
13 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Indians' Vacation Compass Points to Short-haul Locales
Short-haul destinations such as Thailand , Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Nepal continue to see steady demand from Indian travellers even as long-haul travel has slowed amid geopolitical tensions, travel companies said. 'While travellers have considered delaying or postponing plans, Southeast Asia has emerged as a go-to destination for those seeking familiar experiences,' said Manjari Singhal, chief growth and business officer at Cleartrip. The booking platform has seen a 50% year-on-year rise in bookings to countries like Cambodia, Vietnam and the Philippines this summer season compared to last year. 'Additionally, airfares to Vietnam and Indonesia have dropped, making these destinations more accessible for budget-conscious holidaymakers,' she added. And the spike in demand is continuing even after the end of summer vacation. 'Our pipeline post reopening of schools shows continued momentum from the young professionals segment, especially for weekends and extended weekends,' said Neeraj Singh Dev, executive vice president and head, ecommerce, and domestic and short haul holidays, at Thomas Cook (India) and SOTC Travel. The benefit of visa free or easy visa entry has only served to fuel demand from late booker segments for Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, Mauritius, and Seychelles, he said. Affordable flight fares and steep discounts on accommodation are adding to the attraction in many destinations. 'Flight fares were reasonably priced, there was no hassle of visa appointments and we got great discounts on some very luxurious hotels (in Bangkok and Koh Samui),' said Shivansh Kalra, a Delhi resident, who booked a holiday to Thailand this month. Countries like Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Singapore continue to be popular among Indian travellers, thanks to their strong tourism infrastructure, cultural appeal, and ease of connectivity, according to Bharat Malik, senior VP, flights and hotel business, at Yatra Online. 'These destinations have remained stable and unaffected by the ongoing geopolitical tensions in West Asia, making them a preferred choice at this time,' he said. Temporary airspace restrictions in West Asia amid the Israel-Iran conflict impacted long-haul routes to Europe and the West, with rerouting causing 2-4-hour increase in flight durations and 15-20% rise in airfares on certain routes, Malik noted. 'This naturally shifted traveller interest towards more cost-effective and shorter routes,' he added. Bookings from India remain steady at Kuda Villingili Resort in Maldives, its commercial director Amjad Thaufeeg said. 'Maldives is still one of the top choices for Indian guests looking for a quick luxurious getaway and we have seen that demand stay consistent, especially from couples and families,' he said. 'We are also seeing advance bookings for the upcoming festive seasons.'
Economic Times
13 hours ago
- Business
- Economic Times
Rising demand for short-haul travel: Indian tourists flock to Southeast Asia amid geopolitical tensions
Southeast Asian destinations are seeing a surge in popularity among Indian travelers, driven by affordable airfares, easy visa policies, and strong tourism infrastructure. Bookings to countries like Cambodia, Vietnam, and the Philippines have risen significantly, with demand continuing even after the summer vacation. These destinations remain stable choices amidst geopolitical tensions, attracting budget-conscious holidaymakers and young professionals alike. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads ( Originally published on Jun 29, 2025 ) In contrast to long-haul travel, which has seen some softening amid geopolitical tensions since summer, short-haul, easy-to-access destinations such as Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and Nepal have remained relatively unaffected and continue to attract interest from Indian travellers , travel companies said."While travellers have considered delaying or postponing plans, Southeast Asia has emerged as a go-to destination for those seeking familiar experiences. Countries like Cambodia, Vietnam, and the Philippines have seen a 50% rise in bookings compared to last year," said Manjari Singhal, chief growth and business officer at Cleartrip. 'Additionally, airfares to Vietnam and Indonesia have dropped, making these destinations more accessible for budget conscious holidaymakers,' she benefit of visa free or easy visa entry has only served to fuel demand from late booker segments for Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam and Indonesia, Mauritius and Seychelles, said Neeraj Singh Dev, executive vice president and head, e commerce, and domestic and short haul holidays at Thomas Cook (India) and SOTC Travel. "Our pipeline post reopening of schools shows continued momentum from the young professionals segment, especially for weekends and extended weekends,' he flight fares, attractive discounts on five star hotels in Bangkok and Koh Samui this month and Thailand's no visa policy led to Shivansh Kalra booking a holiday to Thailand this month. 'Flight fares were reasonably priced, there was no hassle of visa appointments and we got great discounts on some very luxurious hotels,' he like Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Singapore continue to be popular among Indian travellers, thanks to their strong tourism infrastructure, cultural appeal, and ease of connectivity, said Bharat Malik, senior VP, flights and hotel business at Yatra Online.'These destinations have remained stable and unaffected by the ongoing geopolitical tensions in West Asia, making them a preferred choice at this time,' he said. 'Temporary airspace restrictions impacted certain long-haul routes, and flight durations increased by 2–4 hours due to rerouting of flights. Airfares rose by nearly 15–20% on certain routes. This has naturally shifted traveller interest towards more cost-effective and shorter routes,' he from India remain steady at Kuda Villingili Resort Maldives, said commercial director Amjad Thaufeeg. 'Maldives is still one of the top choices for Indian guests looking for a quick luxurious getaway and we have seen that demand stay consistent, especially from couples and families,' he said. 'We are also seeing advance bookings for the upcoming festive seasons, and many guests are booking earlier to secure their preferred villas and experiences,' he added.
Time of India
a day ago
- Business
- Time of India
Rising demand for short-haul travel: Indian tourists flock to Southeast Asia amid geopolitical tensions
New Delhi: Short-haul destinations such as Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Nepal continue to see steady demand Indian travellers even as long-haul travel has slowed amid geopolitical tensions, travel companies said. "While travellers have considered delaying or postponing plans, Southeast Asia has emerged as a go-to destination for those seeking familiar experiences," said Manjari Singhal, chief growth and business officer at Cleartrip. The booking platform has seen a 50% year-on-year rise in bookings to countries like Cambodia, Vietnam and the Philippines this summer season compared to last year. "Additionally, airfares to Vietnam and Indonesia have dropped, making these destinations more accessible for budget conscious holidaymakers," she added. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Perdagangkan CFD Emas dengan Broker Tepercaya IC Markets Mendaftar Undo And the spike in demand is continuing even after the end of summer vacation. Live Events "Our pipeline post reopening of schools shows continued momentum from the young professionals segment, especially for weekends and extended weekends," said Neeraj Singh Dev, executive vice president and head, ecommerce, and domestic and short haul holidays, at Thomas Cook (India) and SOTC Travel. The benefit of visa free or easy visa entry has only served to fuel demand from late booker segments for Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, Mauritius and Seychelles, he said. Affordable flight fares and steep discounts on accommodation are adding to the attraction in many destinations. "Flight fares were reasonably priced, there was no hassle of visa appointments and we got great discounts on some very luxurious hotels (in Bangkok and Koh Samui)," said Shivansh Kalra, a Delhi resident, who booked a holiday to Thailand this month. Countries like Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Singapore continue to be popular among Indian travellers, thanks to their strong tourism infrastructure, cultural appeal, and ease of connectivity, according to Bharat Malik, senior VP, flights and hotel business at Yatra Online . "These destinations have remained stable and unaffected by the ongoing geopolitical tensions in West Asia, making them a preferred choice at this time," he said.
