Skift Take
— Bulbul Dhawan
Indonesia is planning to introduce visa-free entry for tourists from 20 nations, including India. The country’s tourism minister, Sandiaga Uno, has announced that the policy is in the works and it will be finalized before October this year. The move aims to boost international tourism in Indonesia, Uno said.
Apart from India, Indonesia is planning to allow visa waiver to Australia, China, Japan, the U.S., South Korea, France, Germany, Qatar, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, and more.
A similar move was under consideration by the Indonesian government last year and it was expected to be in place by January.
Indian Tourists in Indonesia: According to Indonesia’s official statistics portal – BPS-Statistics Indonesia – in 2023, over 600,000 Indian tourists visited the country, making India one of the top 10 largest source markets.
Data from India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) shows that between January and March this year, over 30,000 passengers from India departed to Indonesia.
Currently, Indian tourists wanting to visit Indonesia can obtain a visa on arrival either online or at Indonesian airports.
Visa Waivers for Indians: If Indonesia gives a go-ahead to the policy, it will join Thailand, Sri Lanka, Iran, and Malaysia in its visa waivers to India.
Apart from this, South Africa, Vietnam, and Russia are also considering allowing visa waivers to Indian travelers.
Domestic Air Traffic Dips in June
The domestic air passenger traffic in India witnessed a decline in June. According to credit ratings agency ICRA Limited, in June, roughly 13.3 million passengers traveled within the country, making a decline of about 4% from 13.8 million in May. However, the month also witnessed a 6.3% increase in comparison to June 2023.
June also saw a monthly decline of 3% in airlines’ capacity deployment from May, but this figure was 7% higher than June 2023 capacity, ICRA noted.
The agency’s outlook on the Indian aviation industry was stable as the domestic and international air passenger traffic continued to recover, it said. “Moreover, the industry witnessed improved pricing power, reflected in the higher yields (over pre-Covid levels) and, thus, the revenue per available seat kilometre–cost per available seat kilometre (RASK–CASK) spread of the airlines. The momentum in air passenger traffic witnessed in FY2024 is expected to continue into FY2025,” ICRA said.
Indian Medical Tourism to Hit $25 Billion by 2029
The market size of the Indian medical tourism market is increasing at an annual rate of 19%, according to a report by market research firm Report Ocean. The report noted that the market would hit $25 billion by 2029, up from $7.42 billion in 2022.
According to the report, affordable high-quality healthcare services along with high-end medical technologies are primary factors that will boost the medical tourism market.
Data shared by the Indian tourism ministry last year showed that the number of medical tourists in 2022 stood at about 475,000, up from over 304,000 in 2022. It also projected that between January and October 2023, over 504,000 medical tourists visited India. In order to capitalize on this segment, the government has formulated a National Strategy and Roadmap for Medical and Wellness Tourism.
Low-Cost Airline Air Kerala Gets Government Nod
Low-cost airline Air Kerala has received the no-objection certificate (NOC) from India’s ministry of civil aviation. The carrier is run by Dubai-based businessmen Afi Ahmed and Ayub Kallada. It is set to be the first regional airline of the southern coastal state of Kerala.
The entrepreneurs will now work on acquiring aircraft and obtaining Air Operator’s Certificate. It is planning to start operations by next year, with the aim to initially connect Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities using ATR 72-600 aircraft.
As per current plans, Air Kerala will begin regional operations and begin branching out internationally once its fleet gets 20 aircraft. Dubai is expected to be one of its first international destinations.
Indian Tourists to Turkey in 2024 Surge 34%
In the first five months of 2024, Indian tourists to Turkey increased by 34% as compared to 2023. Turkey’s tourism board shared that between January and May this year, 126,000 Indians visited the country.
In comparison, the country witnessed 274,000 Indians during the entire 2023. According to the tourism board, Istanbul continued to be a top destination for Indians.
Turkey is expecting India to be among the top 10 source markets in the next three years. It is also expected that this year, the number of Indian tourists will increase to 350,000, marking an increase of 30% as compared to 2023.
Photo Credit: In 2023, over 600,000 Indian tourists visited Indonesia.
