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India

India

Visitor characteristics

  • There are more male than female visitors and 6-in-10 visits were made by Indian residents aged 25-54 years old in 2018
  • 33% of holiday visitors (excluding British expats) are making a repeat visit to Britain (within ten years)
  • Just over half of the visits from India to Britain were made by people who reside in the Maharashtra (including Mumbai) and in the Delhi states
  • 90% of departing staying holiday visitors from India (excluding British expats) say they are ‘extremely likely’ to recommend Britain for a holiday or short-break, which is above the 85% across all markets

Popular activities

Dining in a restaurant

Visited Parks/ Gardens

Went Shopping

Global context

Measure2018
International tourism expenditure (US$bn)21.3
Global rank for international tourism expenditure16
Number of outbound visits (m)20.1
Most visited destinationUnited Arab Emirates
Most visited destination in Western EuropeFrance

Key demographic and economic data

Measure2018
Population (m)1,356.0
GDP per capita PPP (US$)7,298
Annual average GDP growth over past decade (%)7.2
Annual average GDP growth over the past year (%)6.2

Resources

India Market Profile (PDF,1.7MB)

visitbritain_marketprofile_india_draft2018_december2018.pdf

India Market Snapshot (PDF, 2.2 MB)

india_market_snapshot_aug_2018.pdf

India Aviation Profile (PDF, 2.03MB)

aviation_market_india_10092019.pdf

More resources

Find out where visitors from India to the UK reside in their own country (Excel, 212KB, Published in 2008 and 2015)

annual_states_of_residence_2018_for_web.xlsx

More information on how Indian travellers use social media on holidays compared to travellers from other countries (PDF, 3.08MB, Published in 2015)

foresight_142_-_november_2015_social_media.pdf

Read our report examining perceived barriers to exploring Britain outside of London for Indian visitors (PDF, 2.46MB, Published October 2014 )

2014-10 Exploring Great Britain research – Emerging Markets_2.pdf

Take a look at our India visa research to find out if the visa process is a barrier to potential visitors (PDF, 1.78MB, Published in 2011)

India Visa Research Presentation.pdf

Exchange rate

1 GBP = 92.7185 INR

As of 12 December 2019

Retrieved from the Bank of England

Inbound visits to Britain from India

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Number of visits

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Total expenditure (GBP)

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Average spend per visit (GBP)

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What Indians think about Britain

  • Those in India have a generally positive view of Britain. According to the 2018 Anholt Nation Brands Index, powered by IPSOS, they ranked Britain in their top 5 for its nation brand among 49 nations overall, and for visiting if money were no object, its vibrant cities, its contemporary culture, and historic buildings
  • For Indian respondents the cultural product or services they most expect to be produced in Britain are ‘museums’, 'films' and 'sports'
  • Those in India are much more likely than average to believe that a holiday in Britain would be ‘romantic’, ‘relaxing’ and 'exciting'
  • Top holiday desires include ‘enjoying the beauty of the landscape’, ‘feeling connected to nature’ and ‘good value for money’. Although Britain rates above average for all those holiday attribues, Australia is the destination most often considered as the ‘best place’ to get the former two while USA is perceived as the ‘best place’ for the latter holiday desire 
  • Britain seems to be the best destination for ‘visiting a place with lots of history/ historic sites’ and ‘revisiting places of nostalgic importance’ for Indian respondents

Caring for visitors

  • Family plays an extremely important role in Indian life. Visitors will often ask for family or interconnecting rooms
  • The use of the 'Namaste', the greeting with folded hands, is usually appreciated among Indian guests, while it is best to wait for your guest to extend their first to shake it
  • Many Indians are vegetarian and teetotallers, and it is vital that a good variety of vegetarian options are made available on menus
  • Leisure visitors from India are less likely than those from the average market to use a credit card while in Britain
  • Whilst many speak good English, some may have issues understanding slang or accent

The leisure & travel trade

  • The travel trade in India changes slowly. The trade still plays a pivotal role in booking outbound travel while online booking is mainly popular for domestic travel, and digital sources are used mostly for travel inspiration and destination information
  • Brochures are planned and produced in December or January – discussions are best started a year in advance, but can still occur in October-November as last-minute changes in the itinerary happen frequently
  • Telephone contact and face-to-face interaction is appreciated, as well as the provision of brochures

Access to Britain from India

Measure2018*
Weekly aircraft departures117
Weekly seat capacity31,411
Airports with direct routes in India7
Airports with direct routes in Britain3
  • The majority of airline seats are destined for London Heathrow and mostly originate from either Mumbai or Delhi*
  • Those flying home to India from Britain pay £78 in Air Passenger Duty if travelling in economy class
  • Visitors from India need a visa to visit Britain and should apply for a six-month standard visitor visa currently costing £95

 

*2018 data (direct, non-stopping routes, excluding charter flights operated by TUI Airways and Thomsa Cook Airlines from Goa and Cochin)

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