Pune: With the Indian rupee weakening to around Rs95 against the US dollar, an increasing number of Indian travellers are choosing destinations where the rupee has greater purchasing power against the local currency. “Destinations like Europe, US and Canada are out of question because things have become very expensive due to the rupee depreciation. We have decided to book tickets for Sri Lanka for the long weekend in Aug,” said Sunil Maniar, a resident of Bavdhan.Value-conscious travellers are opting for countries such as Vietnam, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Uzbekistan, where food, hotels and local transport is cheaper than in other countries. “We had originally planned a trip to the US in July-Aug, but it was turning out to be too expensive for us as we are a group of 10. We have decided to visit Indonesia because it is turning out to be more affordable,” said Mahesh Kulkarni, a resident of Wanowrie.With traveling overseas becoming very expensive due to weaker currency, travellers are considering shorter haul destinations and are booking in advance. “We are getting a lot of inquiries about ticketing for visa-free or visa-on-arrival destinations. People are also booking much in advance rather than last minute bookings to lock in cheaper fares. This helps bring down overall travel costs,” said Kirti M, a ticketing executive at a travel agency in Pimpri Chinchwad.SD Nandakumar, president & country head (holidays and corporate tours), SOTC Travel, said, “The weaker Japanese Yen boosted outbound demand from Indian travellers for Japan across 2024 and 2025. Similarly, Vietnam continues to remain attractive from a value perspective, while Bali is currently witnessing increased interest, supported by the depreciating Indonesian Rupiah against the Indian Rupee.” For travellers looking to plan an international holiday within an approximate budget of Rs 60,000 per person, destinations such as Nepal and Sri Lanka continue to offer accessible, experience-rich options, he said.Travel agents said that there was a hesitation to travel in the first half of the year owing to the geopolitical situation, but things are getting better now. “July and Aug are off-season months for many destinations and this making international holidays more affordable than during the year-end or festive season. There are also many long weekends coming up so people are making the most of it,” said an agent at a Koregaon Park based travel agency.Rajeev Kale, president and country head (holidays MICE, Visa), Thomas Cook (India), said, “We’re also witnessing strong value in alternative year-round destinations like Central Asia’s Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan that offer a great value proposition — delivering experiences and European ambiance/weather at a fraction of a cost.”
