Summary of this article
Indian tourist enquiries for Thailand, Cambodia drop on recent clashes between two nations
Other Asian countries gain favour as year-end holiday destinations
Indian tourists are looking for alternatives to Thailand and Cambodia for the New Year holiday destinations as clashes between the two neighbouring countries rise. Spots such as Vietnam, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Japan, and West Asia are gaining favour among Indian tourists at the expense of these two popular Asian holiday destinations, Economic Times reports industry executives as saying.
Thailand has been a favoured location for Indian tourists for festive travel, and Cambodia has increasingly emerged as a niche spot, which shares a border with Thailand. However, due to clashes between the two nations, which ended in a ceasefire after weeks of fighting and claiming more than 100 lives, enquiries for these two countries as a holiday destination dropped.
“For Thailand, enquiries have softened by around 10-20 per cent, with fresh bookings down in the range of 8–15 per cent,” the paper quoted Ravi Gosain, president of the Indian Association of Tour Operators, as saying.
However, cancellations for bookings made beforehand did not see much of a drop. Cancellations were limited to 3-8 per cent, with most opting to reroute their trips within Thailand or reschedule their bookings rather than cancel them outright, Gosain said. Cancellation for bookings in Cambodia was much sharper, he added, with enquiries down 20-35 per cent on year and cancellations rising to 8-18 per cent.
For an average Indian, expenses in Thailand during the year-end usually range from Rs. 1.1-1.8 lakh per person. For premium travellers, spending is around Rs. 2.5-4 lakh per person.
“The aggressive demand witnessed earlier is missing now—about 5-10 per cent lower demand,” the paper quoted Rajiv Mehra, general secretary of the Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism and Hospitality, as saying regarding Thailand.
Potential travellers to Thailand and Cambodia started changing their year-end plans within 48-72 hours of the breakout in clashes between the two countries, Gosain said, adding that this was followed by another round of changes closer to their departure dates.
Gosain said that families, first-time travellers and premium leisure customers were more cautious as the situation between the two countries worsened. Meanwhile, younger group travellers and honeymooners showed greater flexibility in adjusting their travel plans.
“Safety perception, visa ease, flight availability and overall value are the key decision drivers,” Gosain told the paper.
Meanwhile, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, and Malaysia offer attractive deals and an alternative for travel spots, Mehra said. Vietnam emerged as a breakout destination, with an estimated 125 per cent jump in Indian traveller traffic in 2025, the paper quoted an EaseMyTrip spokesperson as saying. Sri Lanka has also seen a fivefold surge compared to last year as a winter destination spot.
Experts also said that Goa, Kerala, and the Andamans continued to attract festive demand and were favoured among domestic travel destinations.
