“If I go on a tour, I make sure that the trip has a historical touch. Just scenic beauty does not appeal to me anymore,” says well-known Delhi author Rana Safvi, who has gone on immersive travel tours conducted by Ganga Jamuni, an organisation founded by Shagufta Siddhi, a cultural and art history enthusiast. Safvi has gone on five such tours; there are two more coming up. “During the Morocco tour, we will do more than sightseeing. For instance, during our Vrindavan tour, Siddhi organised the famous Phoolon Ka Holi for us, and in Uzbekistan, we explored local markets, food, and monuments. Next year, it will be Spain’s Andalusia, a place that played a significant role in Europe’s Renaissance,” she says.
India’s travel industry is witnessing a sea change in the post-COVID-19 scenario. An Outlook Money 2025 report suggests that around 82 per cent of Indians planned tours around culture; 84 percent of millennials and 80 percent of Gen Z travellers have also shown an affinity for cultural vacations.
Making a difference
Indians have always been keen travellers, but the mode is changing, says Siddhi. “Earlier, people would check into hotels, hire a guide, learn stories about popular spots from the guide, and then decide the itinerary. What we offer in addition to the usual sightseeing is interesting encounters with a place through its people and culture. For instance, in our Uzbekistan tour with American physicists, at Gijduvon (in the Bukhara region), we were invited by the city mayor, and as we reached, he held a grand Eid daawat for us. We also interacted with local potters and other craftspeople. The academics met the physics department at a local college in Gijduvon, and went on to help them set up a lab. This sort of participation ensures a greater cultural mixing and with people across the spectrum,” she says, adding that these interchanges make visitors aware not only about the cultural history of the place they are visiting but also its socio-political condition.
Rakhsit Hooja, the president of the Jaipur Virasat Foundation, confirms that earlier, the trend was to travel to places to see what was already popular. “Our relationships to these places were as outsiders. In immersive travels, we get more of an insider’s view. The local food, the culture, the festivals, the people—everything kicks in. You feel as if you are one of them,” he says.
Ramesh Murthy, a retired banker, also hails the concept of immersive travel. “During our recent Aurangabad (now Sambhaji Nagar) trip, we visited the Ajanta and the Ellora caves and temples, Bibi Ka Maqbara, Panchakki, Daulatabad Fort – all handled with precision, despite the monsoon. Our guide, Amod Basole, made the trip unforgettable with his knowledge of the scriptures, history, religion, music, and art. We had great discussions,” he says.
Exploring diverse fields
Immersive wildlife travels are popular as well. Avijit Sarkhel, the founder of Vana Safari, a company that organises customised tours for its clients, explains: “Wildlife is a broad category. For instance, if we focus on ‘lesser’ or under-studied mammals like shrews or bats, we create a storyline around them. We talk of how bats have significant ecological roles, for instance. People usually focus on tigers, lions and leopards. With us, they get to see unattended species and learn about them.”
Tina Greenawalt, a former wildlife biologist, has travelled with Vana Safaris on multiple tours to central, western, and northern India, and she is charmed by the knowledge Sarkhel brings to the table. “He (Sarkhel) doesn’t just point out the species, but is also well-versed in conservation information, human vs animal conflict issues, and stories that give a deeper connection with wildlife,” she says.