NEW DELHI: India has emerged as the second biggest source market for international tourists to Australia this summer. The 31,600 visitors from India this May — the summer holiday season here — was second only to the 46,700 from neighbouring New Zealand, making desis the biggest medium/long haul travellers Down Under. Australia has from July 6, 2022, lifted all Covid-time entry restrictions, including the requirement to submit proof of being fully vaccinated, and now it expects an even stronger surge in visitors from India.
“India was the fastest growing inbound market for us in pre-Covid times with six straight years of double digit growth. The May surge was seen when there was the requirement of submitting a pre-departure Covid negative test. Now with all pandemic time restrictions going, we expect a big jump in numbers in coming months. The visa lodgements (applications) in India is now 50% more than pre-pandemic times,” Brent Anderson, Tourism Australia regional GM (south and southeast Asia), told TOI Wednesday.
In pre-Covid 2019, Australia had welcomed 92 lakh international visitors. India was the seventh largest source market at 4 lakh visitors, with the top three being China, New Zealand and the US. Desis were the sixth biggest international spenders Down Under that year. Now with China yet to open its borders and many southeast Asian nations just opening up, the order has changed. “India was the number two inbound market for Australia this May. And number three for the period June, 2021, to May, 2022,” Anderson said.
In pre-Covid times, Tourism Australia says Air India nonstops used to account for 10% the India-Australia travel market with the remaining 90% going one-stop on southeast Asian carriers. After Australia reopened its borders last year, its airline Qantas started direct flights between Delhi and Melbourne and will start Sydney-Bengaluru from this September. It may start Delhi-Sydney direct too. “In all we will have 22 nonstops between India and Australia on Air India and Qantas from September. Some southeast Asian carriers have also resumed connections like they used to offer before 2020. With this increased connectivity and the upcoming ICC mens T20 World Cup later this year (during Diwali time in India), we expect a big increase in visitors from here,” Anderson said.