Open Borders, Open Skies: Visa-Free Countries Spark Year-End Travel Boom For Indians

As we enter the final week of 2025, the itinerary of Indian travel enthusiasts is being re-drawn one visa free travel at a time. With the end being so near, the verdict has also been made clear — easier visa access and visa-free travel is the new 'it' factor for Indian travellers with four countries visa-free nations making it to the top picks.

A report on year-end Indian travel booking trends by popular travel booking website MakeMyTrip, Thailand which offers a 60-day visa-free entry to Indians has trumped UAE year-on-year to take the leading international travel destination spot.

The data, based on bookings between Dec. 20, 2025 and Jan. 5, 2026 also reveals that Sri Lanka, which has a 30 day visa-free policy for Indian travellers, came in third among top travel destinations.

Similarly, Malaysia which also offers 30 visa-free days of stay to Indians held tightly to the fifth spot.

Lastly, Hong Kong, that only requires Indian nationals to do a Pre-arrival Registration or PAR for visits up-to 14 days made the cut to being among the top 10 international travel destinations.

Noting a rise in short-haul international travel in familiar as well as newer regions Rajesh Magow, Co-founder & Group CEO, MakeMyTrip remarked, "The impact of easier visa and visa-free access is playing out consistently, reinforcing India’s growing appetite for outbound travel."

Another case in point for easy visa access popularity is Vietnam, which has very swiftly risen through the ranks to become the fourth most booked travel destination. In the same period last year, Vietnam camped in the seventh position.

In order to visit Vietnam, Indians can apply for an online visa or opt for the Visa on Arrival or VoA service after submitting a pre-approval letter from a travel agent/service.

Speaking on the year-end travel boom among Indian travellers Magow added, "the domestic tourism growth story continues during the year-end and New Year holiday period, with sustained demand across leisure and pilgrimage destinations".