Honeymoon trips, vacation trips, business trips, sports tourism and MICE events drive recovery
Honeymoon trips, vacation trips, business trips, sports tourism and MICE events drive recovery
Bengaluru
Huge pent-up demand from India will propel tourist arrivals in Australia to pre-COVID levels of more than 4,00,000 by 2022, said Nishant Kashikar, country manager, India & Gulf, Tourism Australia, a government agency responsible for promoting travel destinations in Australia is responsible country.
In the last two years, honeymoon trips, vacation trips, business trips, sports tourism and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) have all been canceled due to the pandemic. All of that pent-up demand, plus requirements for family summer holidays abroad, would reignite growth in Indian tourist arrivals to Australia in 2022, he said.
He said India has emerged as the fastest growing tourist market for Australia and visa applications have already returned to pre-COVID levels. Australian consulates in India now receive more than 8,000 visa applications every week.
According to Tourism Australia’s Consumer Demand Study, 1.8 million, or 82% of India’s 2.2 million quality travelers intend to visit Australia in the next two years. “That confidence and travel intent is already reflected in visa applications and bookings,” he added.
Around 4,00,000 Indians visited Australia in 2019, up from 1,00,000 a decade ago. Tourism Australia aims to welcome over 1.2 million Indian tourists by 2035, which would result in nearly US$7 billion in revenue.
Mr Kashikar said India’s air transport capacity to Australia has increased by 137% with the recent addition of eight flights, including four non-stop Airbus A330 services between Sydney and Bengaluru operated by Qantas, which are scheduled to begin on September 14.
Indian travelers who obtained an Australian visa but were unable to travel between March 20, 2020 and June 30, 2022 can re-apply for visas free of charge and this option is available until December 31, 2022.
