VOI World/ Desk
In 2024, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) held onto its position as the most popular overseas destination for Indian nationals, according to data from the India Tourism Data Compendium.
Following the UAE, the next most visited destinations were Saudi Arabia, the United States, Thailand, Singapore, the UK, Qatar, Canada, Kuwait, and Oman. Together, these top 10 nations accounted for about 71.1% of all international departures from India last year.
The sustained dominance of the UAE reflects strong people-to-people connections, business ties, and ease of travel between India and the Gulf region. For Indian travelers, this means that the Gulf continues to be a go-to for both work and leisure.
For tourism and travel stakeholders, the concentration of outbound travel in a handful of countries points to opportunities—and risks. While focused demand offers scale, overreliance on certain markets could make the sector vulnerable to geopolitical or regulatory shifts.
