Indian travellers are becoming more selective about the experiences they seek abroad, and new research commissioned by South African Tourism suggests that the country has an opportunity to capture more of this growing market if its tourism industry adapts to those changing expectations.
The opportunity comes against a mixed backdrop. South Africa recorded 6.6 million international arrivals between January and July 2026, a 12.4 percent increase compared with the same period in 2025. Indian arrivals, however, stood at 29,525 during the same seven-month period, below the figure recorded over the corresponding period last year.
The lack of a direct air connection between India and South Africa continues to complicate travel between the two countries. Yet South African Tourism says the longer-term outlook remains positive, pointing to forward bookings, continued growth in outbound travel, rising consumer confidence and sustained demand for long-haul holidays.
“While Indian arrivals for January to July 2026 are below the same period in 2025, the long-term outlook for the market remains positive, underpinned by positive forward bookings, strong outbound travel growth, increasing consumer confidence and sustained interest in long-haul travel,” said Ismail Dockrat, COO of South African Tourism.
The latest research, based on the South African Tourism Segmentation Research Study completed in December 2025, was undertaken to give tourism businesses a clearer understanding of how Indian travellers think about international travel, what influences their decisions and what they expect from a destination.
The findings point to a market that is changing alongside India’s expanding travel economy. A growing middle class, rising disposable incomes and increasing exposure to international destinations are supporting outbound travel, while travellers are placing greater value on holidays that combine memorable experiences with quality and value.
For South Africa, that shift could favour the country’s unusually broad tourism offering.
The research identifies five priority groups that are particularly relevant to South Africa: Seasoned Explorers, Family Adventures, Aspirational Explorers, Scenic Adventurers and Jetsetters. Together, these middle- to high-income long-haul travellers represent 35 percent of the Indian travel market and show strong interest in the types of experiences South Africa can offer, including scenery, food, adventure and high-quality travel experiences.
The findings also suggest that traditional sightseeing alone is no longer enough to define an attractive holiday for many Indian travellers. Wildlife, nature, food, culture, local communities and immersive activities increasingly form part of the appeal.
“Travelling is not only about visiting places. It’s about experiencing the heart and soul,” one research participant, a man aged over 50, said.
That emphasis on experience gives South Africa room to broaden the way it presents itself in India. The country’s appeal extends well beyond safari, with cities, coastlines, wine estates, cultural experiences, adventure tourism and culinary offerings capable of being combined into a single itinerary.
For Indian visitors who may not return to the same destination frequently for a leisure or family holiday, that variety can be particularly important. Rather than selling individual attractions, tourism businesses can build journeys that allow travellers to experience several sides of South Africa during one trip.
The research also points to the importance of who is travelling. Family holidays can involve children, spouses and parents, creating a stronger demand for safety, convenience and predictability. Travel with friends or solo trips can look different, with greater interest in adventure, discovery, beaches and new cities.
That distinction matters for tourism businesses trying to sell the same destination to different audiences. A family itinerary and an itinerary aimed at younger independent travellers may need to present South Africa in very different ways, even when they include some of the same destinations.
The research also identifies a wider shift in perceptions of Africa among Indian travellers. Safari remains an important attraction, but interest is extending into areas such as local culture, food, luxury accommodation, wellness and family-friendly travel.
For South Africa, that creates an opportunity to position the country as a multi-experience destination rather than simply a place to see the Big Five. A single journey can combine wildlife viewing with scenic drives, cultural experiences, restaurants, coastal destinations and accommodation ranging from city hotels to luxury lodges.
“The enchanting landscapes and the elevation changes are hugely rewarding,” another research participant, a man under 30, said.
Digital media is another major part of the equation. India had 1.09 billion active internet subscribers in March 2026, according to the research, with 94 percent accessing the internet through mobile devices or wireless connections.
Travel discovery is increasingly taking place through social media, online video, influencers and AI-powered travel planning tools. For South African tourism businesses, simply having an online presence is therefore unlikely to be enough. The research points towards the need for content that shows what travellers can actually experience, while making practical information easy to find and use.
That digital shift has not eliminated the role of travel advisers. For long-haul trips, Indian travellers can still turn to trusted professionals for help with visas, accommodation, itineraries and family travel. South African suppliers therefore have a parallel task: reaching travellers directly while making their products straightforward for the Indian travel trade to understand and sell.
The research suggests that this means providing useful sales material, clearly packaged itineraries and products that reflect the expectations of different traveller groups.
Air connectivity remains an issue that the tourism industry cannot solve through marketing alone. The absence of a direct India-South Africa air service adds friction to the journey and remains one of the factors affecting the market’s performance.
But South African Tourism’s research argues that connectivity is only part of the challenge. The other part is whether the destination is presenting the right product to travellers whose expectations are evolving.
“The conversations with strangers who feel like home, the silence in the mountains; that heals louder than words,” one female respondent under 30 said, capturing the more emotional side of what the research identifies as an experience-led approach to travel.
For South African tourism businesses, the message is less about creating an entirely new destination offering than understanding how existing strengths can be packaged and presented for a changing market. Safari, scenery, food, culture, adventure and hospitality already form part of South Africa’s tourism proposition. The question is how effectively those experiences are connected to what Indian travellers are looking for.
“India presents significant long-term growth opportunities for South Africa. By using these insights to understand better the evolving Indian traveller, our tourism industry can create experiences that resonate and drive future arrivals,” said Gcobani Mancotywa, Regional General Manager for Asia and Australasia at South African Tourism.
The current numbers show that there is still work to be done. Indian arrivals have not matched the previous year’s pace, even as South Africa’s overall international arrivals have grown. But the research points to a market with substantial room for future development.
For South African tourism operators, the opportunity will depend on more than attracting attention in India. It will require products that fit different travel occasions, stronger relationships with the Indian travel trade, digital storytelling that reflects real experiences and itineraries that make the country’s diversity easy to understand and buy.
South African Tourism is encouraging tourism businesses, tour operators, attractions, accommodation providers and provincial tourism authorities to use the segmentation research to refine their products and engagement with the Indian market. With Indian travellers increasingly looking for distinctive experiences rather than simply a list of sights, South Africa’s ability to turn its diversity into coherent, compelling journeys could play an important role in determining how much of this growing outbound market it captures.
