More than 187,000 Indians visited South Korea between January and November 2025, said Myong Kil Yun, regional director for India and Saarc countries at Korea Tourism Organization. The agency estimates the number to have crossed 200,000 by the year-end, “in line with our target for 2025”, he told ET.
“For 2026, our goal is to reach 250,000 Indian arrivals,” Yun said. Indian travellers are increasingly seeking personalised and experience-led journeys, moving beyond first-time sightseeing to explore regional destinations, food and everyday lifestyle experiences and seasonal travel themes, he said.
The Japan National Tourism Organization is planning to introduce new less-explored areas to the Indian market. Destinations such as Sendai, Nikko, Matsumoto, Kanazawa and Nara are not well known yet, a spokesperson said. “We also expect Hokkaido and Okinawa should be more popular. We are also planning to introduce the Kyushu area to the India market this year.”
ET reported in January last year that Japan was drawing significant interest among Indian visitors beyond the Sakura season. “We believe there is huge potential in India for promoting the snow destinations of Japan besides golf tourism,” the spokesperson said.
Tourism Research Australia estimates arrivals from India to reach 492,000 in 2026, a 6.4% increase over last year, said Nishant Kashikar, country manager for India and the Gulf at Tourism Australia. “The growth will be supported by a calendar of highly anticipated cultural moments such as the Australian Open, Formula 1, Vivid Sydney, Sydney Mardi Gras and Dark Mofo in Tasmania,” he added.
