Flight searches over the last 6 months surpasses pre-pandemic levels, rises by 29%

More international travellers are planning to visit India in 2023. As per flight search data on KAYAK.co.in, flight searches over the last six months (July 20, 2022 to January 20, 2023) for travels to India in 2023 have surpassed pre-pandemic levels, growing by around 29 per cent over 2019.

The number of searches from the US, which has long been one of India’s most prominent tourism sources, has gone up by 21 per cent, compared to the same pre-pandemic period. Increases in flight searches from other European countries are also very positive, with the UK having a spike in flight searches of about 48 per cent and France increasing by around 22 per cent. There was also strong growth from Canada increasing by around 63 per cent and Australia increasing by around 60 per cent compared to 2019. Searches from UAE were the highest at 137 per cent, followed by Qatar at 122 per cent.

“We are seeing a global trend, where travellers want to experience new, unique and different things. And so they are looking beyond the usual favourites to see what else India has to offer. This is positive for India’s tourism sector, which has been amplifying its efforts to grow inbound travel from not just traditional source markets, but expanding its promotion further across the globe,” said Tarun Tahiliani, India Country Manager at KAYAK.

 Among the 10 most searched travel destinations in India by international travellers, New Delhi topped the list followed by Mumbai and Hyderabad. Other destinations included Ahmedabad, Chennai, Kochi, Bengaluru, Amritsar, Goa and Thiruvananthapuram.