What is the story about?
The post-pandemic travel boom hasn’t just revived old favourites; it has rewritten the Indian travel wish-list. In 2024 alone, Indians splashed out a record-breaking
$31.7 billion on international trips, a 25 per cent leap on the previous year, according to The Times of India. Far from slowing down, the appetite for overseas adventures only grew stronger in the first half of 2025. Search trends from Booking.com show Indian travellers homing in on one particular hotspot with a zeal normally reserved for cricket finals. Affordable flights, a quick visa, and an almost dizzying menu of activities have made this city-state the darling of India’s passport holders. So which destination topped the charts?
Dubai: The Top Searched International Destination
Booking.com’s data confirms it – Between January and June 2025, Dubai outpaced every other international city in search volume from India. Nearly 10 million visitors poured into Dubai in those six months, and more than ten per cent hailed from India alone. That’s not a small crowd; that’s practically a Test-match stadium of Indian tourists arriving every week.
What’s Drawing Indians to Dubai?
Affordable and easy access
Direct flights from most Indian metros, frequent budget deals, and a straightforward visa process make Dubai feel like an extension of India’s own travel network rather than a far-off luxury trip.
Retail therapy on steroids
Dubai isn’t just about skyscrapers. It’s a retail paradise where high-end labels sit next to souks selling gold, spices and textiles. Shopping festivals often coincide with Indian holidays, making the city doubly attractive.
Record-breaking sights
You can gaze out from the Burj Khalifa – still the tallest building on the planet – or hit up the Museum of the Future, a sleek monument to innovation that opened to global acclaim in 2022. Fun fact: the Burj Khalifa’s lifts travel at 10 metres per second, which means you reach the observation deck faster than a Mumbai local train departs the platform.
Adventure without a passport stamp
Desert safaris, dune bashing, camel rides, world-class theme parks, aquariums the size of football pitches – Dubai has turned itself into a giant playground. Even the beaches are manicured like five-star resorts.
The Deeper Connection: Work and Community
The United Arab Emirates’ no-income-tax policy has long lured professionals and entrepreneurs. According to data from the Indian Embassy in the UAE, some 4.3 million Indians now live in the Emirates, about 15 per cent in Abu Dhabi and the rest spread across Dubai and the northern emirates. This diaspora fuels an ecosystem of Indian restaurants, festivals and businesses, so a first-time visitor never feels entirely like a stranger.
A Surprise Star in Asia: Japan
While Dubai ruled the roost globally, Japan quietly emerged as the most-searched destination within Asia. Booking.com’s figures show Japan appearing in top search lists in 70 per cent of Asian markets from January to June 2025. Tokyo led the pack, but Japanese travellers themselves mostly searched for domestic spots – with only Seoul breaking into their top ten foreign cities.
Fun Fact: Japan boasts more than 5,000 active hot springs (onsen), enough to soak the entire population of Mumbai at once. No wonder it’s piquing Indian curiosity.
Dubai’s dominance as India’s favourite international search reflects a blend of convenience, spectacle and cultural familiarity. For those who want something further afield and a little less predictable, Japan is shaping up as Asia’s rising star. Whether it’s shopping under the world’s tallest tower or slurping ramen under a cherry-blossom tree, Indian travellers in 2025 clearly know how to mix glamour with experience – and the world is taking note.
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