According to recently released data from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Indian nationals spent a record USD10 billion in overseas travel during the first nine months of 2022, an increase of nearly 43 percent compared to pre-Covid figures.

 Moreover, estimates from Indian business consultants, Nangia Anderson LLP, in association with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI), place the number of annual outbound journeys at more than 27 million, with a total value of over USD42 billion by the year 2024. This makes India well-positioned to become one of the world's most important outbound tourism markets and support growth in the Middle East’s tourism sector following the challenges of the global pandemic.

 Many Indians regularly travel to the GCC region for leisure, business, or a combination of both, taking advantage of the short distance, with Mumbai to Dubai, just a three-hour flight. The number of direct flights between India and this region reflects these trends, with Emirates alone operating over 170 weekly flights to nine Indian cities – Gulf Air, Etihad, Qatar Airways and Oman Air each also have regular flights to Indian destinations.

 Airfares to the Gulf from India are also far lower than for other destinations due to the short distance, further underscoring the convenience and popularity of leisure or business travel. In addition, there are 8.5 million Indian nationals currently working in the GCC, meaning there is already a significant level of familiarity between the two regions.