KOLKATA, March 22 -- London holds a special place in the hearts of Indians, with a recent report even indicating that they surpass the English themselves as property owners in the city. According to VisitBritain's Country Manager to India, Vishal Bhatia, during his recent visit to Kolkata for the GREAT tourism roadshow, in 2022, Indian travellers spent over half of their time exploring destinations outside London, extending their stays to an impressive average of 27 days compared to the global average of eight days. More than 50 travel trade industry agents and tour operators attended the GREAT tourism roadshow in the city.
Meanwhile, cities like Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, and Edinburgh hold tremendous appeal for Indian visitors. India is poised to become a billion-pound visitor market by 2025, with visits predicted to recover to 2019 levels by 2024, making it one of the UK's fastest growing Asian visitor markets.
Bhatia also informed Millennium Post that in 2022, the UK was the most popular destination in Europe for Indian travellers. "Top motivators for Indian visitors include the variety of places to visit in Britain, its natural beauty, weather, and cultural attractions. Looking at the insights from the Indian travel trade industry, Indian visitors are keen on luxury experiences that include shopping, dining, accommodation, and transport experiences. The trend is shifting from sightseeing tours to experiential travel," he said.
Bhatia also informed that the airline seat capacity from India to the UK is also showing strong recovery and growth. "Scheduled seat capacity on non-stop flights from India to the UK, when looking at the first eight months of 2024, is already 33 per cent higher than in 2019 with capacity particularly ramping up from May," he said.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.