Millions of Indians will soon be heading to foreign shores to ring in the New Year. A large number of them will be landing in Thailand, confirming the status of the Land of Smiles as a favoured destination.
Saurabh Mishra, 26, will be flying to Bangkok on Dec 29 with three friends to welcome 2018. A resident of Kanpur, 450 kilometres east of New Delhi, he will be spending four days -- two each in Bangkok and Pattaya -- before returning home.
The owner of a startup business, Mr Mishra said he chose Thailand from a long list of Indian and foreign destinations because of its affordability and proximity. The trip will cost him no more than what he would have spent on travel to the Andaman Islands.
"We wanted a short and less expensive trip. It is within my budget," he told Asia Focus. Besides enjoying beachside activities in Pattaya, he and his friends will shop and check out the nightlife of Bangkok for the first time.
Thailand has been the most preferred destination for Indians for the last two years for numerous reasons: closeness to India, affordable street fashion, beach activities, excellent seafood, throbbing nightlife, cultural connections and welcoming people.
"Textiles are cheap there. Moreover, some Sardarji tailors who migrated from India to Thailand in the 1960s and 1970s can deliver a suit in your hotel within less than 24 hours," said Rajji Rai, a former president of the Indian Tour Agents Association.
"Golden shores, majestic temples, street fashion and legendary nightlife are allures of this exotic destination," said Sharat Dhall, chief operating officer (business to consumer) of Yatra, a leading Indian travel company. "With an array of extravagant places, Thailand is teeming with striking tourist destinations such as Bangkok, Phuket, Koh Samui and Pattaya.
"It has both western-style conveniences and old-world Asian charm. As absolute value for money, Thailand among Indians has also emerged as a favourable landing place for destination weddings."
Mr Dhall quotes from the annual winter survey his organisation carried out recently. "Out of the 46% of respondents opting for international destinations, 24.2% preferred travelling to Thailand," he said.
Nishant Pitti, chief executive of EaseMyTrip, another tour operator in New Delhi, said Thailand's appeal derived from "being home to fabulous luxury resorts, stunning hidden gems, amazing Buddhist temples and delicious street food".
Subhash Goyal, former president of the India Tour Operators Association (ITOA) and chairman of Stic travel group, believes Thai people's friendly nature is a major reason why Indian tourists choose the country.
Nongnooch Pattaya Garden is among the attractions in package tours marketed by Indian travel companies. Supplied/Nongnooch Pattaya Garden and Resort
Interest is expected to increase further now that New Delhi has secured rights for Indian airlines to fly directly to Koh Samui and U-tapao airports.
Unlike last year when the travel industry in India crumbled under the weight of demonetisation, this year the outlook is more buoyant. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced demonetisation in November last year, leading to huge shortage of 500- and 2,000-rupee banknotes and dealing a knockout blow to many businesses, including travel and hospitality.
Apart from Thailand, tour operators report healthy bookings for Singapore, Malaysia and Dubai for the New Year. They say the demand for travel to Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, Macau, Scandinavian countries and the Philippines is also on an increase.
Within India, tourists are expected to flock to Goa, Udaipur, Jaisalmer, Manali, Kerala and the Andaman and Lakshadweep islands to welcome 2018. Some will travel to winter destinations such as Shimla, Kasauli, Auli and Mussoorie to enjoy the snow. Newer destinations such as Mizoram and Shillong (Meghalaya) in the Northeast are also on the rise.
"As compared to last year, we have seen a rise of around 39% in the numbers of Indians travelling during the Christmas and New Year season with about 64% travelling during the Christmas weekend whereas 36% will be travelling around New Year's Eve," said Mohit Gupta, chief operating officer for online business of MakeMyTrip, the largest online travel company in India.
Mr Pitti says 2017 has been much more productive for the travel business than 2015 and 2016. He attributes this to the introduction of e-visas and a growing number of tourist arrivals in the country. "Both the leisure and business travel have seen a boom as demand is increasing," he said.
In March this year, the government extended e-visa approval to the nationals of 161 countries for entry through three Indian ports and 24 airports, up from 16 airports. It announced three categories -- e-tourist visa, e-business visa and e-medical visa -- and increased the time limit for seeking an entry permit from 30 days to a maximum of four months. Foreign tourist arrivals to India jumped by 15.8% between January and October this year compared with the same period in 2016.
Indians have been truly bitten by the travel bug during the winter season. Yatra found from its annual winter survey that 71% of respondents were keen on travelling during the season, with 64% choosing domestic destinations and 46% going abroad.
On the accommodation front, 51% said they would prefer budget hotels, 28% chose starred hotels and 11% preferred homestays.
"The survey revealed that people are willing to spend on authentic experiences that delve into the culture, history and people. They are looking for exclusive experiences," Mr Dhall said.