Australia’s Mantra for Winning Indian Tourists: ‘Easiest’ Visa Process
Photo Credit: Tourists gathered outside Sydney Opera House in Australia. Pexels / Brett Stone
Skift Take
With Indians traveling outbound increasingly, long-haul destinations are trying to capitalize on this growing market segment. Tourism Australia is hopeful that its online visa process will make it a preferred destination, coupled with growing air connectivity and strong bilateral ties.
In 2024, Indian tourists to Australia increased 12% year-on-year, reaching 443,000 travelers, while spending by Indian tourists increased 17%. Even as Tourism Australia did not share an official target, Nishant Kashikar, country manager - India and Gulf at Tourism Australia, said the country aims to continue this double digit growth momentum.
The number of nights Indian travelers spent in Australia also increased by almost 34% last year. "We are seeing Indians traveling beyond key gateway cities," Kashikar told Skift, citing examples of destinations like Tasmania and Canberra, which were earlier unheard of.
“The strength of the bilateral relations between Australia and India is at an all time-high, the aviation capacity is not a challenge, and getting a visa to travel to Australia is not a problem,” he said.
According to Kashikar the simplified visa process would surely help to push tourism numbers.
“The Australia visa these days is
