India Voted One of the Top Five Must See
Travel Destinations in Asia Pacific

Mumbai, 15 July 2008

Visa survey shows India is a drawcard for both international
and domestic travelers

India has been voted one of the top five must see travel destinations for people living in Asia Pacific, according to a survey commissioned by Visa [1]. 
 
The survey asked more than 4,500 people from nine Asia Pacific countries and territories to share their top 'must-visit' travel destinations in the region.  According to the survey, 63 percent of respondents said Australia was the place they most wanted to see.  This was followed by Singapore (42 percent), New Zealand (41 percent), Japan (40 percent) and India (27 percent).
 
Santanu Mukherjee, country manager, South Asia, Visa Asia Pacific said:  "In recent years, India has become an important destination on the global tourist map with more than two million foreign visitors between January and May 2008 [2]. India has a variety of holiday options to offer, from heritage to adventure holidays and family vacations to relaxing getaways, and is becoming a desired destination for international tourists."
 
Domestic tourism proved a big draw with more than half of the Indian respondents in the Visa expressing interest in exploring the tourist attractions of their own country. According to the Annual Report of the Ministry of Tourism 2007-08, domestic tourism grew 17.8 percent from 2005 to 2006 (380 million domestic tourists in 2005 to  462 million in 2006 [3]).
 
Among Indian respondents, the appeal across certain demographics was similar with 49 percent of men and 53 percent of women putting India in their must see list. Across the age groups of Indian respondents, more than 55 percent of those 35 and above selected India as a 'must see' destination.
 
Mr. Mukherjee continued: "India offers a variety of unique experiences for all travelers, but understanding the particular demographics of domestic travelers can help us make the right decisions when it comes to developing cardholder programs and promotions to support tourism."
 

About Visa

Visa operates the world's largest retail electronic payments network providing processing services and payment product platforms. This includes consumer credit, debit, prepaid and commercial payments, which are offered under the Visa, Visa Electron, Interlink and PLUS brands. Visa enjoys unsurpassed acceptance around the world and Visa/PLUS is one of the world's largest global ATM networks, offering cash access in local currency in more than 170 countries. For more information, visit www.corporate.visa.com.