Ceritalah | How a new wave of Indian travellers are transforming tourism in Southeast Asia
- More than 25 million Indians travel abroad every year and while their numbers aren’t as big as the Chinese, they offer huge potential for the hospitality industry
- Unlike the Chinese who tend to pick ‘all-in tours’, Indians are more independent and rely on apps to arrange their travel
It’s raining heavily outside the Indra Square Mall in Pratunam, Bangkok. Three Indian millennial friends – Rupesh, Ashish and Sourabh – are standing at the entrance and planning their next move. Two are software engineers, one is an entrepreneur. Two live in Mumbai and the other in Hyderabad.
Having flown into the Thai capital with the low-cost carrier AirAsia, they’ve been making an extensive, eight-day tour of the kingdom. They’re adventurous, using local buses, the BTS and taxis. They’re also tech-savvy, using the Klook app to plan their travels.
However, it’s been awkward looking for vegetarian food. They find local restaurant and stall prices more expensive than at home. Anyhow, they prefer to spend their money on shopping.
“This is our first trip out of India. The flights were just so affordable. We travelled to Pattaya, Phi Phi Island, Phuket and Bangkok. But in all honesty, Bangkok is our least favourite. We thought it would be more exciting. Pattaya was fun because of the nightlife. In Phuket, we spent time snorkelling, swimming and relaxing on the beaches,” Sourabh said.
In short, Indians are travelling.
