Wanderers’ whims
HYDERABAD: Travel trends for 2023 dictate Indians’ preferences for luxury and comfort, experiencing offbeat places after either being inspired by a TV show or a movie or watching a food documentary. CE talks to travel experts to track trends in Hyderabad
As the travel industry stands back on its feet after two years of pandemic-induced slowdown, 2023 has brought in a host of excitement among travellers and industry members. As the travel industry emerges from the pandemic, travel trends have begun to shift. Travel has become a resource for the younger population in the country that not only wants to experience new things but also has the money to spend on luxury and wellness.
As per the 2023 Global Travel Trends report released by American Express Travel, around 90% of surveyed Indians prioritise personal wellness in their travel plans. Around 87% plan on spending more money on luxury experiences. We talk to travel bloggers and industry members to see what shapes the travel choices of people in Hyderabad.
“Hyderabadis consider connectivity a major factor while planning their travels. As a matter of fact, Rajiv Gandhi International Airport has the best connectivity with direct flights to almost every tourist destination in the country, including Srinagar and Port Blair,” says Astha Maheshwari, a travel blogger. “Secondly, experience-based travel is also getting popular. People no longer wish to do regular touristy stuff. They believe in exploring and going beyond the usual spots, such as– driving all the way to Kanyakumari just to witness the sunrise, boarding Vistadome to enjoy Araku Valley views from a glass dome, or as simple as staying in a coffee estate to learn about coffee processing etc,” she added.
The trends report says that 98% of surveyed Indians want to travel to a place they have never been before, seeking hidden gems, and lesser-known destinations and traversing an offbeat path.
“Having travelled to almost every state of India, I found a great number of people from Hyderabad and there goes– Miru Hyderabad Vara? (Are you from Hyderabad) Have done this in Ladakh, Andamans, Manali, Coorg, Hrishikesh, and Goa..!” she added.
Vandana Vijay, who owns a sustainability-based travel company called Offbeat Tracks, said that the Hyderabad market is quite diverse when it comes to travel preferences, however, not as developed as Bengaluru or Mumbai. “At the one end are people who like basic tours and travel packages. For example, we have a lot of women-oriented tours. Women who are senior citizens and like to enjoy their post-retirement life. On the extreme end of the spectrum, we have very interesting groups of travellers coming in, such as mountaineers, trekking groups, and those wanting experiential expeditions, like cycling tours around the countryside, and interacting with the locals,” she said. Offering a number of tours to offbeat paths, her company allows people to travel responsibly while interacting with local communities. According to the American Express report, 97% of the surveyed Indians are interested in going on a vacation that supports local communities and 94% are mindful of the environmental impact of their travel decisions, as compared to a year ago.
“Food is also a very big component in shaping people’s travel decisions, as people do gastronomy-based tours in Hyderabad as well,” she added. The report also mentioned that about 86% of the Indian respondents typically book travel destinations based on popular restaurants located there. The local restaurants and food festivals also play a part in determining travel destinations for them as per the report. “In my understanding, a Hyderabadi traveller is one who likes to explore and experience new aspects of culture,” added Vandana.
Disagreeing on the food aspect, LSP, a travel enthusiast and a photographer, said that only a die-hard foodie might prioritise their travel based on food culture of a city. “Most people I know only make a note of iconic, must-try places in the city they are travelling to. For example, Indore has this famous Sarafa bazaar street food in the evening. But none of the people I know would only travel to Indore to try just that. However, while travelling in MP they will make sure to tick that experience,” he said.
Adding that Hyderabad has varied interests, but “the core population of Hyderabad still mostly does religious and culture-oriented travel to destinations like Tirupathi or Shirdi. The recent Vande Bharat and Indigo flight addition is a testimony to that,” he said.
According to him, different age groups seek different kinds of travel experiences. “Coming to the youngsters in their 20s, their travel decision is mainly tuned by Insta-famous places at present. There are both luxury and non-luxury categories in this. Some travel all the way to the Himalayas just to experience the snow, popularized by reels. Some international destinations like Bali are popular too, only to replicate the viral Insta reels,” he said.
As per the American Express report, the top sources of travel inspiration for surveyed Indians include Instagram (63%), Facebook (63%), online blogs (49%) and TV shows (49%).
Around 48% of Indian respondents agree that they have been inspired to travel this year by a recent TV show/movie, with Game of Thrones and Emily in Paris topping the list. Also, 95% of surveyed Indian GenZers agree they are inspired to visit specific travel destinations after seeing them featured on TV shows, news sources or movies.
“People in their 30s are exploring more staycations in and around the city, mostly seeking comfort and food. Holistic travel is currently limited to a very less segment in their late 30s and mostly 40s,” added LSP
“Indians are planning to travel for gaining new experiences, learn about a city and its culture, breaking away from the monotony and try new food or cuisine. New trends like solo and leisure travel are also picking up amongst Indian travellers,” said Sanjay Khanna, CEO of American Express Banking Corp India.