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Indonesia Emerges as the Top Visa on arrival Destination Based on Accommodation Search Data
SINGAPORE, Feb. 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The latest accommodation search data from digital travel platform Agoda reveals Thailand and Malaysia as the most preferred visa free international destinations among Indian travellers. Indonesia continues to lead among visa on arrival (VOA) markets. The data reflects an uptick in interest compared to last year toward destinations across Asia that combine easy entry requirements with diverse leisure and cultural experiences.
Agoda analysed accommodation search data generated in India for visa‑free and VOA destinations, between 1 and 18 January 2026, for check‑in dates between February and March 2026.
Among the combined top five destinations searched with visa free or VOA status, Thailand ranked first, followed by Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives. Thailand (visa free) and Indonesia (VOA) remain firm favourites, offering diverse mix of beaches, culture, and adventure, while Malaysia (visa free) combines urban and natural experiences.
Sri Lanka (VOA) recorded notable growth in accommodation searches, registering a 61% increase compared to last year, supported by its proximity and diverse offerings. Maldives (visa free) continues to draw Indian travellers seeking premium island escapes and short haul luxury stays. Together, these destinations underscore how Indian travellers are choosing destinations that offer strong value and simplified entry.
Beyond the top five, Philippines (visa free) ranked sixth and recorded 73% year-on-year search growth, driven by interest from beach loving and adventure-oriented travellers, with water sports remaining a key draw. While Nepal (visa free) ranked seventh. Kazakhstan (visa free) ranked eighth and is seeing interest for its distinctive Central Asian landscapes, while Bhutan (visa free) ranked ninth and attracts travellers drawn to wellness and cultural immersion. Laos (VOA) ranked tenth and recorded the strongest search growth among all top destinations with a 97% increase, positioning itself as a culturally rich alternative within Southeast Asia, aided by simplified visa access and growing awareness among Indian travellers.
Commenting on the trend, Gaurav Malik, Country Director, Indian Subcontinent & Indian Ocean Islands at Agoda, said, "Indian travellers are becoming increasingly intentional about their travel choices, with ease of visa accessibility playing a decisive role. Agoda's 2026 Travel Outlook Report also revealed that if visa restrictions were not a factor, 84% of Indians would travel more frequently. 91% said that they would be open to exploring new destinations, the highest among their Asian peers. Furthermore, the growing search interest in emerging destinations such as Laos and the Philippines, alongside established favourites, reflect a growing appetite for diverse, culturally immersive yet hassle-free international travel."
Travellers planning their upcoming getaways can browse Agoda's wide range of offerings, spanning over 6 million holiday properties, more than 130,000 flight routes, and 300,000+ activities worldwide. The latest deals are available on the Agoda app or at agoda.com/deals.
Indonesia Emerges as the Top Visa on arrival Destination Based on Accommodation Search Data
SINGAPORE, Feb. 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The latest accommodation search data from digital travel platform Agoda reveals Thailand and Malaysia as the most preferred visa free international destinations among Indian travellers. Indonesia continues to lead among visa on arrival (VOA) markets. The data reflects an uptick in interest compared to last year toward destinations across Asia that combine easy entry requirements with diverse leisure and cultural experiences.
Agoda analysed accommodation search data generated in India for visa‑free and VOA destinations, between 1 and 18 January 2026, for check‑in dates between February and March 2026.
Among the combined top five destinations searched with visa free or VOA status, Thailand ranked first, followed by Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives. Thailand (visa free) and Indonesia (VOA) remain firm favourites, offering diverse mix of beaches, culture, and adventure, while Malaysia (visa free) combines urban and natural experiences.
Sri Lanka (VOA) recorded notable growth in accommodation searches, registering a 61% increase compared to last year, supported by its proximity and diverse offerings. Maldives (visa free) continues to draw Indian travellers seeking premium island escapes and short haul luxury stays. Together, these destinations underscore how Indian travellers are choosing destinations that offer strong value and simplified entry.
Beyond the top five, Philippines (visa free) ranked sixth and recorded 73% year-on-year search growth, driven by interest from beach loving and adventure-oriented travellers, with water sports remaining a key draw. While Nepal (visa free) ranked seventh. Kazakhstan (visa free) ranked eighth and is seeing interest for its distinctive Central Asian landscapes, while Bhutan (visa free) ranked ninth and attracts travellers drawn to wellness and cultural immersion. Laos (VOA) ranked tenth and recorded the strongest search growth among all top destinations with a 97% increase, positioning itself as a culturally rich alternative within Southeast Asia, aided by simplified visa access and growing awareness among Indian travellers.
Commenting on the trend, Gaurav Malik, Country Director, Indian Subcontinent & Indian Ocean Islands at Agoda, said, "Indian travellers are becoming increasingly intentional about their travel choices, with ease of visa accessibility playing a decisive role. Agoda's 2026 Travel Outlook Report also revealed that if visa restrictions were not a factor, 84% of Indians would travel more frequently. 91% said that they would be open to exploring new destinations, the highest among their Asian peers. Furthermore, the growing search interest in emerging destinations such as Laos and the Philippines, alongside established favourites, reflect a growing appetite for diverse, culturally immersive yet hassle-free international travel."
Travellers planning their upcoming getaways can browse Agoda's wide range of offerings, spanning over 6 million holiday properties, more than 130,000 flight routes, and 300,000+ activities worldwide. The latest deals are available on the Agoda app or at agoda.com/deals.
** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **
Thailand and Malaysia Lead as Top Visa‑Free Destinations for Indian Travellers - Agoda
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Plume Platform powers smarter, more consistent in-home Wi-Fi experiences across FPT subscriber base.
HANOI, Vietnam and PALO ALTO, Calif., March 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- FPT Telecom, one of Vietnam's leading telecommunications and Internet service providers and a subsidiary of FPT Corporation, today announced a strategic partnership with personalized smart services pioneer Plume® to bring the globally recognized Plume Platform to FPT Telecom subscribers across Vietnam. The deployment marks a significant step in FPT Telecom's ongoing commitment to delivering the best possible in-home connectivity experience for its customers.
FPT's network leverages the Plume Platform's advanced Wi-Fi optimization and AI-informed application recognition and prioritization technologies to create a more consistent, reliable home network that adapts to the way each household uses the Internet. Whether subscribers are streaming video, joining video calls, gaming or working from home, the Plume Platform intelligently identifies and prioritizes the applications and activities that matter most, ensuring smoother performance across every connected device. Powered by cloud-based analytics and AI/machine learning, Plume continuously improves performance by learning from patterns across tens of millions of households globally, helping the network adapt to new devices and applications over time.
"Our mission at Plume is to help the world's best internet service providers deliver the best customer experience possible," said Dan Herscovici, President and CEO of Plume. "FPT's commitment to putting the customer experience first aligns perfectly with what Plume does every day for ISPs around the world, and we look forward to helping them deliver a network experience that truly reflects that commitment, powered by Wi-Fi-optimization and AI-informed application prioritization capabilities to subscribers across Vietnam."
Today's households rely on Wi-Fi for an ever-growing range of activities, from remote work and online education to high-definition streaming and smart home devices. Delivering consistent, high-performance connectivity across every corner of the home is no longer a nice-to-have; it is essential. By selecting Plume as a technology partner, FPT is taking a proactive step to meet that demand and raise the bar for the subscriber experience in Vietnam.
"At FPT, improving customer experience is always our top priority," said Mr. Le Trung, Director of Infrastructure Development and Management Center, FPT Telecom, FPT Corporation. "We are a technology pioneer in Vietnam and among the first to widely deploy Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 7, as well as introduce broadband services of up to 10Gbps. Building on this foundation, we continuously collaborate with leading technology partners to further enhance the quality and consistency of in-home Wi-Fi, enabling our subscribers to enjoy seamless, best-in-class connectivity for their everyday digital needs."
The Plume Platform on the FPT network delivers several AI-driven Wi-Fi optimization and security benefits to subscribers including:
- Intelligent Wi-Fi optimization that continuously adapts the home network to improve speed, coverage and reliability for every connected device.
- AI-informed application recognition and prioritization that identifies the apps and activities subscribers care most about — such as streaming, video calls and gaming — and ensures they perform at their best.
- A more consistent connectivity experience across the home, reducing buffering, lag and the frustrations that come with a poorly performing network.
- Advanced in-home security that helps protect every connected device—blocking malicious destinations and supporting capabilities like intrusion detection, IoT anomaly detection and device quarantine.
Through this partnership, FPT and Plume are working together to set a new standard for in-home Wi-Fi in Vietnam, one that places the needs and daily digital habits of subscribers at the center of everything while building trust.
About FPT Telecom
FPT Telecom Joint Stock Company is one of Vietnam's leading telecommunications and Internet service providers, and a member company of FPT Corporation — the largest IT corporation in Vietnam. Established in 1997, FPT Telecom was a pioneer in bringing Internet connectivity to Vietnamese citizens and continues to serve millions of households and businesses nationwide. Its services span broadband Internet (including fiber-to-the-home), IPTV, data center, cloud computing, and value-added digital services. FPT Telecom is guided by a customer-first philosophy and a continuous commitment to deploying state-of-the-art technology to deliver outstanding digital experiences. Learn more at https://www.fpt.vn.
About Plume
Plume created the first managed Wi-Fi platform for Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in 2016 and continues to lead today with a best-in-class solution for cloud-managed Wi-Fi, security, and workflow orchestration – all powered by an unmatched dataset and AI. With almost half a billion devices connected to its platform, Plume is a trusted technology partner for more than 400 ISPs around the world, helping them deliver subscriber confidence through better Wi-Fi experiences, new services, and proactive customer care. Plume leverages OpenSync®, an open-source framework that comes pre-integrated and supported on the leading silicon, CPE, and platform SDKs, and supports leading industry standards like RDK-B and prplWave. Combined with powerful AI orchestration tools with its acquisition of Sweepr, Plume now offers ISPs a true end-to-end solution to power their most important workflows and customer experiences, while making deployment simpler and faster. Plume is leading the way in providing ISPs an intelligence and innovation edge to stay competitive, build subscriber confidence, and adapt to the changing needs of the market. Discover more about how Plume is empowering ISPs by visiting https://www.plume.com.
Plume Platform powers smarter, more consistent in-home Wi-Fi experiences across FPT subscriber base.
HANOI, Vietnam and PALO ALTO, Calif., March 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- FPT Telecom, one of Vietnam's leading telecommunications and Internet service providers and a subsidiary of FPT Corporation, today announced a strategic partnership with personalized smart services pioneer Plume® to bring the globally recognized Plume Platform to FPT Telecom subscribers across Vietnam. The deployment marks a significant step in FPT Telecom's ongoing commitment to delivering the best possible in-home connectivity experience for its customers.
FPT's network leverages the Plume Platform's advanced Wi-Fi optimization and AI-informed application recognition and prioritization technologies to create a more consistent, reliable home network that adapts to the way each household uses the Internet. Whether subscribers are streaming video, joining video calls, gaming or working from home, the Plume Platform intelligently identifies and prioritizes the applications and activities that matter most, ensuring smoother performance across every connected device. Powered by cloud-based analytics and AI/machine learning, Plume continuously improves performance by learning from patterns across tens of millions of households globally, helping the network adapt to new devices and applications over time.
"Our mission at Plume is to help the world's best internet service providers deliver the best customer experience possible," said Dan Herscovici, President and CEO of Plume. "FPT's commitment to putting the customer experience first aligns perfectly with what Plume does every day for ISPs around the world, and we look forward to helping them deliver a network experience that truly reflects that commitment, powered by Wi-Fi-optimization and AI-informed application prioritization capabilities to subscribers across Vietnam."
Today's households rely on Wi-Fi for an ever-growing range of activities, from remote work and online education to high-definition streaming and smart home devices. Delivering consistent, high-performance connectivity across every corner of the home is no longer a nice-to-have; it is essential. By selecting Plume as a technology partner, FPT is taking a proactive step to meet that demand and raise the bar for the subscriber experience in Vietnam.
"At FPT, improving customer experience is always our top priority," said Mr. Le Trung, Director of Infrastructure Development and Management Center, FPT Telecom, FPT Corporation. "We are a technology pioneer in Vietnam and among the first to widely deploy Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 7, as well as introduce broadband services of up to 10Gbps. Building on this foundation, we continuously collaborate with leading technology partners to further enhance the quality and consistency of in-home Wi-Fi, enabling our subscribers to enjoy seamless, best-in-class connectivity for their everyday digital needs."
The Plume Platform on the FPT network delivers several AI-driven Wi-Fi optimization and security benefits to subscribers including:
- Intelligent Wi-Fi optimization that continuously adapts the home network to improve speed, coverage and reliability for every connected device.
- AI-informed application recognition and prioritization that identifies the apps and activities subscribers care most about — such as streaming, video calls and gaming — and ensures they perform at their best.
- A more consistent connectivity experience across the home, reducing buffering, lag and the frustrations that come with a poorly performing network.
- Advanced in-home security that helps protect every connected device—blocking malicious destinations and supporting capabilities like intrusion detection, IoT anomaly detection and device quarantine.
Through this partnership, FPT and Plume are working together to set a new standard for in-home Wi-Fi in Vietnam, one that places the needs and daily digital habits of subscribers at the center of everything while building trust.
About FPT Telecom
FPT Telecom Joint Stock Company is one of Vietnam's leading telecommunications and Internet service providers, and a member company of FPT Corporation — the largest IT corporation in Vietnam. Established in 1997, FPT Telecom was a pioneer in bringing Internet connectivity to Vietnamese citizens and continues to serve millions of households and businesses nationwide. Its services span broadband Internet (including fiber-to-the-home), IPTV, data center, cloud computing, and value-added digital services. FPT Telecom is guided by a customer-first philosophy and a continuous commitment to deploying state-of-the-art technology to deliver outstanding digital experiences. Learn more at https://www.fpt.vn.
About Plume
Plume created the first managed Wi-Fi platform for Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in 2016 and continues to lead today with a best-in-class solution for cloud-managed Wi-Fi, security, and workflow orchestration – all powered by an unmatched dataset and AI. With almost half a billion devices connected to its platform, Plume is a trusted technology partner for more than 400 ISPs around the world, helping them deliver subscriber confidence through better Wi-Fi experiences, new services, and proactive customer care. Plume leverages OpenSync®, an open-source framework that comes pre-integrated and supported on the leading silicon, CPE, and platform SDKs, and supports leading industry standards like RDK-B and prplWave. Combined with powerful AI orchestration tools with its acquisition of Sweepr, Plume now offers ISPs a true end-to-end solution to power their most important workflows and customer experiences, while making deployment simpler and faster. Plume is leading the way in providing ISPs an intelligence and innovation edge to stay competitive, build subscriber confidence, and adapt to the changing needs of the market. Discover more about how Plume is empowering ISPs by visiting https://www.plume.com.
** This press release is distributed by PR Newswire through automated distribution system, for which the client assumes full responsibility. **
FPT Partners with Plume to Deliver Intelligent Wi-Fi Optimization and Enhanced Connectivity for Vietnamese Households
