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Despite the economic slowdown the number of outbound tourists is rising year after year. India is now considered as one of the top outbound tourism markets in the world. According to " Tourism Australia" the number of Indians travelling overseas should rise from around 15 Million today to 50 Million by 2020. In terms of numbers India is the second fastest growing outbound market after China but the first in terms of percentage. If we consider the Indian outbound tourist spending it is important to highlight that the US absorbe 30% of the total amount. This wanderlust is encouraged by more than 60 foreign countries which established tourism promotion offices in the country. The World Economic Forum's report (WEF) assesses 140 economies worldwide. This report analyses the policies put in place by these countries in order to develop their travel and tourism sector. According to its 2013 Travel and Tourism competitiveness index, Switzerland, Germany and Austria lead the world, Spain, the UK, France and Canada complete this top 10. India ranks 65. And there is no need to stress that this sector can boost the whole economy of a country. Now if we focus again on Indian outbound tourists we see that the findings may not exactly match the WEF's conclusions : Thailand and Singapore are the leader and Malaysia the US and China are ranking at the 3rd, 4th, and 5th place. Yes other countries like Switzerland, the UK, Australia and Canada are also among the most popular destinations for Indian tourists. But the competition will be tough. We all know that this industry will of course be driven by the growth of the middle class. Accordingly the potential of Indian tourists is huge. Yet a warm welcome is as important as good infrastructures or rich cultural or natural resources to make tourists want to come back. And according to the WEF we have another ranking which is rather different from those outlined above : Iceland and New-Zealand rank 1st and 2nd among the friendliest countries while South-Korea and China rank among the least welcoming area. What is certain is that through the economic development Indians will be travelling more and more around the world. As a result a growing number of countries will compete for a larger share of this huge market by slashing prices.

Mo Tailland

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