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Draft:Indian tourism to South East Asia


Since the 2020s, the South East Asia region has emerged as the primary tourism and visitor destination for Indian citizens.[1][2][3][4]

Background

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South East Asia is seen as a premier destination by Indian tourists. They are recognized as high-yield visitors with high per-capita expenditure, particularly in specialized segments such as destination weddings, MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) groups, and religious tourism.[5]

The Middle East had historically been the primary recepient of travel from India, but these people were primarily low income workers and transit passengers, whereas South East Asia is receiving more middle class and voluntary travel.[6][7] As a result of the 2026 West Asia War, many tourists who would have visited Europe switched to South East Asia.[8]

In 2026, due to the pressure on the rupee caused by the large-scale tourism and the West Asia War, the prime minister of India asked for Indians to travel to local destinations instead, showing the outsized geoeconomic impact that the tourism has had on the region.[9]

History

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South East Asia was historically called Suvarnabhumi has had contact with India (Bharatya) since ancient times, through Aboriginal Australians, Ancestral South Indians, and Austronesian-Pacific Islanders. South East Asia was a major destination for merchant traders from India, most notably South East India, and this left a lasting impact on the region now known as Greater India or the East Indies. Evidence of Indian contact can be widely found through genetic markers throughout South East Asia.[10][11]

Modern Indians in the region began with colonialism, through Dutch, Portugese and British imperialism. This also left a highly visible population of Indians in Malaya and Indonesia.[12][13]

Country specifics

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Thailand

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Thailand is the most popular tourism destination for Indians.[14][15]

Malaysia

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Singapore

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Statistics

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Indian Visitor Numbers to Key Asian Destinations (2025)
Country Visitor numbers Reference
Thailand 2,100,000 Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) / Ministry of Tourism and Sports
Malaysia 1,600,000 Tourism Malaysia / Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture
Singapore 1,200,000 Singapore Tourism Board (STB)
Indonesia 918,480 Ministry of Tourism of the Republic of Indonesia (Official 2025 Projection Tracker)
Japan 315,100 Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO)
Philippines 150,000 Department of Tourism (DOT) Philippines
Cambodia 95,000 Ministry of Tourism (Cambodia)
Myanmar 45,000 Ministry of Hotels and Tourism (Myanmar)
Laos 20,000 Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism (Laos)
Brunei N/A Brunei Tourism Development Department (Individual market tracking unavailable)
Timor-Leste N/A Ministry of Tourism, Commerce and Industry (Timor-Leste)

See Also

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References

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  1. ↑ Choudhary, Sanvi (2026-04-21). "Southeast Asia anchors India's outbound travel boom". INDIA OUTBOUND. Retrieved 2026-06-09.
  2. ↑ Mastercard Economics Institute (2024). Travel Trends: Breaking Boundaries (Report). Retrieved 2026-06-09.
  3. ↑ Yusof Ishak Institute (2025). Aviation and Inbound Tourism Dynamics in ASEAN. ISEAS Publishing. ISBN 978-9815104231. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: checksum (help)
  4. ↑ Vietnam National Authority of Tourism (VNAT) (2025). Report on Inbound Market Expansions and International Visitor Metrics (Report). Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
  5. ↑ Travel Daily Media (January 13, 2026). "'Value is the new volume': Thai tourism chief outlines 2026 India strategy". Retrieved February 7, 2026.
  6. ↑ Paul, Anju Mary; Rabel, Githmi (2025-10-26). "When citizenship is off the table: the comfortable transience of high-skilled Indian women migrants in the UAE". Ethnic and Racial Studies. 48 (14): 2900–2917. doi:10.1080/01419870.2024.2441907. ISSN 0141-9870.
  7. ↑ Kawazu, N. (n.d.). Consumer Trends and Expansion of Retail Markets in Growing ASEAN Economies. Nomura Research Institute (NRI).
  8. ↑ "Indians are breaking up with Europe for a Southeast Asian getaway". The Economic Times. 2026-05-23. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 2026-06-09.
  9. ↑ "Global hotel giants bet India's local travel boom can defy slowdown". The Business Times. 2026-06-09. Retrieved 2026-06-09.
  10. ↑ Amrith, Sunil S. (2013-10-07). Crossing the Bay of Bengal. Harvard University Press. doi:10.2307/j.ctt6wpmb1. ISBN 978-0-674-72846-2.
  11. ↑ Changmai, Piya; Jaisamut, Kitipong; Kampuansai, Jatupol; Kutanan, Wibhu; Altınışık, N. Ezgi; Flegontova, Olga; Inta, Angkhana; Yüncü, Eren; Boonthai, Worrawit; Pamjav, Horolma; Reich, David; Flegontov, Pavel (2022-02-17). Beleza, Sandra (ed.). "Indian genetic heritage in Southeast Asian populations". PLOS Genetics. 18 (2): e1010036. doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1010036. ISSN 1553-7404. PMC 8853555. PMID 35176016.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: article number as page number (link)
  12. ↑ Sandhu, Kernsial Singh (2010). Indians in Malaya: Some Aspects of Their Immigration and Settlement (1786–1957). Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0521147576.
  13. ↑ Mani, A. (1993). "Indians in Indonesia". Indian Communities in Southeast Asia. ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute. pp. 98–130. ISBN 978-9813016446.
  14. ↑ "Thailand Tops The List Of Most Booked International Destinations For Indians In 2025". www.ndtv.com. Archived from the original on 2026-02-16. Retrieved 2026-06-09.
  15. ↑ "Garba on the Tarmac — Indian Tourists Have Arrived. The Etiquette Has Not. | The Shillong Times". 2026-06-07. Retrieved 2026-06-09.
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