The Indian tourist is beginning to look at Europe as one of his favorite tourist destinations and within the continent, Spain stands out as one of the places with the greatest growth is registering in recent years. The improvement of air connections between India and Spain, as well as the simplification of immigration procedures, are making it much easier for Indian travelers to arrive in the country.
The increase in purchasing power of the Indian middle class has enabled more people to travel abroad. Besides, the warm and sunny climate is very attractive for Indian tourists, especially during the winter months in their country.
Taking into account that India has the largest population in the world, around 1.4 billion inhabitants, if 2% of Indians decide to travel in 2030, The size of this issuing market could reach 100 million international tripsa figure comparable to France’s annual visitor count.
Indian tourism in Spain has experienced constant growth in recent years, driven by various factors such as the growing middle class in India, the influence of cinema and Spanish culture, and travel facilities.
For this reason, Mabrian’s latest report, ‘India Market Insights: Outbound & Inbound’, calls for taking advantage of the Indian tourism market to and from Europe. But for this, Countries would have to adapt their offer to the needs and expectations of this very diverse market, that is preparing to grow significantly.
The study by the global tourism intelligence platform presented this week at the World Travel Market in London shows how India has a large potential base of trips that play a crucial role in boosting tourism’s contribution to the country’s GDP.
Alternative destinations
Mabrian’s tourism intelligence shows that Indian travelers are lately looking for alternative destinations off the traditional circuits in Southeast Asia. In this scenario, Europe is consolidating itself as one of the preferred options.
Despite demand to the United Kingdom and France decreases compared to the previous year, These countries continue to be among the preferred destinations for Indians; In addition, demand to Italy and Germany have grown by 2.7% and 7.3%, respectively.
The data points to several emerging destinations for the Indian market in Europe. Spain stands out with a 3.8% increase in demand; along with Austria (+9.8%) and Greece (+18.3%)which have experienced the highest growth in Indian traveler arrivals in the last 12 months. Central Asia and the Caucasus also show strong growth in Indian demand, in the triple digits in the Indian market.
Overall, one in three Indian travelers visiting Europe travels with a partner or family, pointing to opportunities for develop tourism products adapted to couples, young families or family groups more numerous
Indian demand towards European destinations is also advantageous from a seasonal point of view, as The maximum peak is reached in the intermediate seasons (March to July) and in winter (December and January), which also favors a more positive perception of the climatic conditions in European destinations.
However, experts say that to make the most of the growing Indian market, European destinations must address some issues such as satisfaction levels and the perception of safety, which are essential considerations for family tourism.
European demand to India: itineraries based on experiences
Regarding demand, one of the key conclusions drawn from this study is the potential for position India as a tourist destination based on experiences instead of only offering pre-established circuits to visit points of interest.
The demand from European markets such as the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy and Spain sees India as an inexhaustible source of cultural experiences and an attractive destination due to its unparalleled heritage, but they also seek to connect with the destination through other experiences, which vary according to the market of origin.
In addition to cultural tourism, demand drivers linked to active well-being (the mix of outdoor activities, nature, and well-being) They are very popular with European visitors to India, with 40.8% of the demand interested in this type of experiences.
Furthermore, European travelers who choose India have a distinctive profile: four out of ten visit the country as a couple and 25% travel alone. More European women than men visit India (51.5% men vs. 48.5% women). The report highlights that the average of European women from the analyzed markets who travel alone to India is 14 points higher than the world average of travelers who choose this country as a destination.
As in the case of European destinations, India faces a key challenge in meeting the expectations of European travelers: and their perception of the travel experience is below the world average for India, of 89.6 points out of 100. In the case of European travelers, the index ranges between the highest score of Italians (77), Germans (69.3) or British (67.3), to the lowest of Spanish or French (63.3 and 62.6, respectively).
“There is room for improvement in traveler satisfaction. Specific campaigns that address perceptions of safety are needed and cultural expectations can contribute to this goal,” says Mabrian’s report.
Three European markets are among India’s top five source markets, and in all of them demand has increased in the last 12 months. British demand has grown the most (+37.7%) and is the main source market for India, followed by France (+28.8%), Germany (+25.5%). Other European source markets, such as Italy (+43.8%) and Spain (+11.5%), also show solid growth.
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