Travel Trends: How are Indians exploring Australia?
From 41,000 Indian tourists in 2000, the number grew to 172,000 in 2013; India is now part of the top 10 inbound markets for Australia. Nishant Kashikar, Country Manager, India and Gulf, for Tourism Australia tells Pooja Bhula about how the Indian traveller is changing and how they are exploring Australia.
Exploring new experiencesOutbound travel is evolving and has become an inherent part of the lifestyle of urban Indians, with Indian travelers scouring for new destinations and novel experiences. Indian travellers are moving beyond city experiences and venturing into surrounding areas for winery visits, nature-related experiences and water-based activities amongst others.
Going off-beatThere's an increased demand for off-beat places like Hamilton Island, Kangaroo Island and Tasmania, all of which are considered offbeat and known for offering unique Aussie experiences.Taking the wheelAnother interesting trend is the increase in preference for self-drive holidays that allows flexibility and ease of travel especially to the city surrounds.Celebration TripsApart from the typical holidays, Indian tourists are looking for new reasons to travel such as birthdays, anniversaries, professional achievements and other special occasions.Will pay for qualityWhilst Indian travellers are extremely value-conscious, they don't mind splurging on travel experiences that unique and promise top quality.Travelling for foodConsumer research corroborates the new-age trend that Indians are travelling on their belly, in response we have evolved the campaign ‘There’s Nothing like Australia’ to include a strong focus on exceptional food and wine experiences.