Residents head to visa-free/on arrival locations this summer

Pune: With summer holidays around the corner, residents are booking last-minute international travel to visa-on-arrival or visa-free locations
"The stress of seeking visa appointments and cumbersome paperwork is not worth it. It requires too much pre-planning. This summer, we decided to visit some islands near Malaysia," said Rahul Tripathi, a resident of Aundh.
"With the dollar fluctuating and the rupee becoming weaker, it has also become 15-20% more expensive to travel to countries like the US and Europe. We are planning our vacation to Seychelles. My son also just finished his CBSE board exams, so it is a good opportunity to travel," Farah Vora, a resident of Kondhwa, said.
"Bookings for visa-free and visa-on-arrival destinations have seen a significant surge year-on-year, reflecting a growing preference for hassle-free international travel. Trip bookings to Thailand, Malaysia, Bhutan, Nepal, Seychelles, and Barbados have risen sharply, with more Indian travellers opting for destinations that require minimal paperwork and faster travel approvals. We have seen 2X more bookings to Thailand compared to last year," said Rikant Pittie, CEO and co-founder, EaseMyTrip. There was a 20-25% increase in last-minute bookings compared to last year.
According to travel booking portal Cleartrip, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia are top destinations this summer. "Sri Lanka surged by 1.2x this year over last year, and the Maldives surged by 1.17x this year over last year in Jan and Feb," said a Cleartrip spokesperson.
Rajeev Kale, president & country head, holidays, MICE, visa -Thomas Cook (India), said that the trend of last-minute bookings has gained momentum. "The introduction of direct flights and low-cost carriers further bolstered demand. For instance, new direct connections such as IndiGo's services to Penang and Langkawi in Malaysia enhanced accessibility, encouraging travel. Thai Vietjet Air's Mumbai-Bangkok route, Air India Express' Hyderabad-Phuket flights, and IndiGo's expanded network to Colombo, Kathmandu, and Mauritius are providing convenient and cost-effective options for Indian travellers," he said.
S.D. Nandakumar, president & country head-holidays and corporate Tours, SOTC, said, "What is interesting is that visa-free destinations like Thailand, Malaysia, Mauritius, Maldives, Bhutan, etc offer cost savings on visa processes, which are then used to upgrade holiday with unique and luxury elements like learning Muay Thai (art of kickboxing) from a professional, wellness/detox programmes in luxury resorts in Thailand, dolphin/whale spotting and snorkelling among the coral reefs in Mauritius, Michelin star underwater dining in the Maldives."
Pune: With summer holidays around the corner, residents are booking last-minute international travel to visa-on-arrival or visa-free locations
"The stress of seeking visa appointments and cumbersome paperwork is not worth it. It requires too much pre-planning. This summer, we decided to visit some islands near Malaysia," said Rahul Tripathi, a resident of Aundh.
"With the dollar fluctuating and the rupee becoming weaker, it has also become 15-20% more expensive to travel to countries like the US and Europe. We are planning our vacation to Seychelles. My son also just finished his CBSE board exams, so it is a good opportunity to travel," Farah Vora, a resident of Kondhwa, said.
"Bookings for visa-free and visa-on-arrival destinations have seen a significant surge year-on-year, reflecting a growing preference for hassle-free international travel. Trip bookings to Thailand, Malaysia, Bhutan, Nepal, Seychelles, and Barbados have risen sharply, with more Indian travellers opting for destinations that require minimal paperwork and faster travel approvals. We have seen 2X more bookings to Thailand compared to last year," said Rikant Pittie, CEO and co-founder, EaseMyTrip. There was a 20-25% increase in last-minute bookings compared to last year.
According to travel booking portal Cleartrip, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia are top destinations this summer. "Sri Lanka surged by 1.2x this year over last year, and the Maldives surged by 1.17x this year over last year in Jan and Feb," said a Cleartrip spokesperson.
Rajeev Kale, president & country head, holidays, MICE, visa -Thomas Cook (India), said that the trend of last-minute bookings has gained momentum. "The introduction of direct flights and low-cost carriers further bolstered demand. For instance, new direct connections such as IndiGo's services to Penang and Langkawi in Malaysia enhanced accessibility, encouraging travel. Thai Vietjet Air's Mumbai-Bangkok route, Air India Express' Hyderabad-Phuket flights, and IndiGo's expanded network to Colombo, Kathmandu, and Mauritius are providing convenient and cost-effective options for Indian travellers," he said.
S.D. Nandakumar, president & country head-holidays and corporate Tours, SOTC, said, "What is interesting is that visa-free destinations like Thailand, Malaysia, Mauritius, Maldives, Bhutan, etc offer cost savings on visa processes, which are then used to upgrade holiday with unique and luxury elements like learning Muay Thai (art of kickboxing) from a professional, wellness/detox programmes in luxury resorts in Thailand, dolphin/whale spotting and snorkelling among the coral reefs in Mauritius, Michelin star underwater dining in the Maldives."