Vietnam has emerged as a favored international destination of Indian tourists with outbound travel from India to Vietnam skyrocketing 248 percent in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the 2019 level, Indian news site livemint.com reported, citing a report from Mastercard's Economics Institute.

The report, 'Travel Trends 2024: Breaking Boundaries,' indicated that India's travel market is buzzing and outbound travel from India has seen a significant spike.

Following Vietnam, the number of Indian tourists to the U.S. and Japan jumped 59 and 53 percent, respectively.

The emerging trends hold promise for the travel sector as India is expected to see nearly 20 million more people entering the middle class over the next five years.

David Mann, chief economist for Asia Pacific at Mastercard, said, "We're seeing more international trips from travelers coming from India than at any time in history. 

“India is the fastest growing major market in the world now and, in the foreseeable future, it is likely to be an ongoing (growth) story.

"The desire for travel, jewelry, and high-end clothing options will remain very strong with growing disposable incomes, and an aspirational lifestyle."

Mastercard’s report also showed that despite the strengthening of the U.S. dollar, the outbound Indian travel segment has flourished due to an expanding affluent consumer base seeking luxury experiences. 

Vietnam, which recently added direct flights to India, has seen a two-and-a-half-time increase in the number of Indian tourist arrivals. This reinforces the strength of demand for intra-regional travel as well, Mann said.

The Southeast Asian country welcomed 158,000 Indian travelers in the first four months, surging over 41 percent year on year, Lao Dong (Labor) newspaper cited the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism as saying.

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