Visitors from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, and Oman are leading the growing interest in travel to India, according to leading travel app Wego, highlighting the strong cultural and economic ties between India and these Gulf nations.

January to June 2024 data from Wego, a leading travel app and one of the largest online travel marketplaces in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), revealed the growing interest to travel to India in the first half of 2024 – a 40.71% YoY increase in searches for international flights to India.

International flight searches to India, Wego said, have been steadily growing in the past few years. This year’s inbound flight searches have even outpaced the pre-pandemic numbers of the same period in 2019.

The data for the first half of 2024 on Wego’s platform revealed significant travel interest to India from various regions, particularly the GCC countries. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, and Oman emerged as the top five sources of travellers.

This trend highlights the strong cultural and economic ties between India and these Gulf nations.

Wego's data further revealed that searches from Saudi Arabia accounted for a substantial 42% of all international searches to India. Among these, the routes from Riyadh to New Delhi and Riyadh to Lucknow emerged as particularly popular.

This indicates a significant interest from Saudi travellers in both major metropolitan areas and culturally significant cities in India.

Bahrain also showed notable travel interest, indicating its active travel connections with India. Additionally, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Thailand were among the top 10 countries of origin for travellers to India.

Bernard Corraya, General Manager of Wego India office, said: “The findings suggest a dynamic travel landscape where India remains a key destination for both leisure and business travellers from across the globe, driven by various factors such as tourism, business ventures, and familial connections.”

Notably, Wego observed a significant surge in flight searches to India during April and June 2024. These months align with the celebrations of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. During these festive periods, many travellers in the Middle East take advantage of the long holidays to visit family, explore new destinations, or embark on religious pilgrimages.

This rise in international travellers searching for India on Wego is creating a golden opportunity for Indian travel companies, a statement said.

Hotels, tour operators and local experience providers can now reach a much larger audience of international visitors looking for a taste of India's unique culture. Wego's user-friendly platform, especially on mobile devices, makes it easy for travellers to discover and book the Indian adventure of their dreams.

Coinciding with the surge in searches during Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, Wego also observed a rise in flight searches to popular Indian destinations like Kozhikode, New Delhi, Cochin, Lucknow, and Mumbai during April and June 2024.

This period also coincides with the summer school breaks in the GCC countries, making it a prime time for families to travel together. – TradeArabia News Service