India to generate 6.5 mn outbound tourists annually by 2020: Report

Representative Image (REUTERS/Mansi Thapliyal)

India is estimated to generate 6.5 million outbound luxury and MICE tourists annually by 2020, reinforcing the country's influence as a key source market for MICE and luxury travel, according to a new report.

According to figures published ahead of the 5th Annual MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) India and Luxury Travel Congress (MILT), the projected market growth accounts for the Ministry of Tourism's official outbound tourism figures, specifically for India's current 1.5 million outbound MICE travelers and 3.6 million outbound luxury travelers.

In 2016, the GCC witnessed an unprecedented spike in arrivals from India, with both Dubai and Abu Dhabi naming the country their top source market for the year. There was an increase of 15 per cent in the arrivals from India in 2016, following a 20 per cent rise in 2015, according to official tourism figures published by Dubai's DTCM and Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority, respectively.

"In 2015, India became Dubai’s number one source market for overnight visitors. Figures released by the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing reported 1.8 million overnight tourists had travelled from India to Dubai in 2016, and in the first quarter of 2017, India was the first ever market to record nearly 580,000 visitors in any one quarter, with a massive 23 per cent growth in arrivals between January and March," said Steen Jakobsen, Director, Dubai Business Events and City Operation.

"The growth of the Indian outbound travel industry is at a very exciting phase, and we continue to cater to this dynamic and lucrative segment," Ackash Jain, Director, QnA Global said.