With rapid technological and climate change staring us in the face, 2024 is set to look very different. What remains constant, however, is the human desire to explore. Some things remain the same, but unforeseen experiential trends are getting hot now.
A desire to experience hidden gems and offbeat destinations (think Meghalaya, Ziro, Ponmudi, Sandakphu, Gokarna) remains as strong as ever, as does a penchant for adventure tourism focused on activities like trekking, wildlife safaris, and adrenaline-pumping sports. Tourism geared towards enjoying sporting events, tournaments and championships across the globe continues to be popular, just like travel for festivals and cultural celebrations. Luxury remains ageless; discerning travellers seek high-end accommodations, personalised services and opulent amenities while tourism centred on culinary exploration also remains popular. Similarly, religious tourism is on an all-time high with travellers gearing their vacations around India’s numerous sacred destinations.
New and interesting travel trends this year include a desire to observe the skies with astro-tourism picking up. In a bid to save money and enjoy a quieter experience, tourists are also keen on off-season travel. Some prefer not to plan in advance, however, choosing to book their holidays at the last minute owing to their fast-paced lifestyles. These holidays are also generally more flexible in terms of planning, with strict itineraries being shunned. Unusual pairings for travel partners are another interesting trend, such as grandparents choosing to travel exclusively with their grandchildren for some high-quality bonding time.
Of the many travel trends, we decode the ones that truly stand out.
The Bold and the Influential
When Thomas Cook was tasked with prepping an itinerary for guests that offered hands-on culinary insights into the local culture and cuisine, they called in the expert. Ranveer Brar, celebrated chef, restaurateur and actor, was the perfect person for the job. He recalls, “I have travelled to Iceland and Munich on specialised trips as a food curator and expert, as well as one which was part of the Royal Caribbean cruises, where I was called on to be the curator for the Indian cuisine and menu onboard the liners. And after docking at Malaysia, I would turn guide for the passengers and we would go street-food hopping together.”
A regular immersive experience is no longer enough. Chef-led gastro trips have become common, so people can experience a region the way the chef does. Group trips designed and hosted by social media influencers are another major trend. However, while some influencers organise these trips themselves spurred on by their many followers requesting tailor-made itineraries to places the influencers have previously visited, others prefer to tie up with established travel companies.
Pavitra Kaur or @theclassyfoodophile recently led a group of 18 people from Paris to Prague with tour operator When in City. The latter specialises in group trips for 18-32-year-olds, and Kaur with her 416K followers on Instagram was the perfect collaborator. “This is now part of their brand-building strategy,” says Kaur. “Even Coca-Cola sent influencers to Tomorrow Land for indirect marketing. Personally, I think it’s great when someone with specialised knowledge leads a trip. I would love to join a trip to London with Karan Johar so he could show us the original estate from Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham!”
Travel and lifestyle blogger Karishma Rawat (@karishmarawat) has been on influencer-led trips too, though in her experience travel agencies are usually the driving force behind them. “The trend is positive, ensuring well-organised and safe trips. Smaller groups add a personal touch, making the experiences more memorable,” she says.
SPEC SHEET
● International influencers best known for conducting trips: Alyssa Ramos (@mylifesatravelmovie), Alexandra Baackes (@alexinwanderland) and @wanderwomanretreats, Kesi of @kesitoandfro, Rioba of @justrioba; Kanoa Greene of @KanoaGreene and @KanoaAdventures, Johnny Ward of @OneStep4Ward, Will Hatton of @WillHatton_, and Lesley Murphy of @lesleyannemurphy and @limitlesstravel
● In India, most influencers tie up with travel companies such as When in City
● The best way to book trips with them is through social media or newsletters. For regular travel agents, websites are good.
● Itineraries depend on the number of days and location. Trips are at all price points.
Deep Blue Sea
When the global pandemic hit, the travel experience that was to get the worst name was going on a cruise. Four years later, this same experience is thriving better than ever before. This is certainly evident from Virtuosos 2023 yacht bookings, which were up by 79 per cent over 2019, especially in the yacht-forward destinations of Croatia, Greece, San Tropez, and the Caribbean. According to Daniel D’Souza, president and country head of holidays, SOTC Travel, cruises continue to be a popular choice, as they offer a unique blend of luxury, entertainment, and the opportunity to explore multiple destinations in just one trip.
Content creator Ruchika Lohiya (@_chikka) was invited to cruises with the groups Costa and Cordelia in India and Star Cruises in Singapore, in a bid by these companies to spread the word. “Though it depends on your budget, sea travel is a truly unique experience,” she says. However, travel bloggers Sandy & Vyjay and founders of Voyager Sandy N Vyjay, feel that cruise tourism is still very nascent in India. They say, “When we think about cruises, it is generally the international ones that come to mind. We have recently been on a luxury cruise in Ha Long Bay, Vietnam, and would recommend this experience.”
It’s interesting to note that smaller boating experiences are now more popular than large cruises. Away&Co specialises in smaller, more intimate cruises curated for fewer people with a high level of luxury. Their most popular luxury cruise destinations include Alaskan cruises covering the beautiful natural scenery, glaciers, and wildlife of Alaska’s picturesque landscapes, river cruises through a number of Europe’s historic rivers while exploring iconic cities and charming towns along the way, and expedition cruises to remote and unique destinations like the Galapagos Islands, Antarctica, or the Norwegian Fjords for specialised experiences and nature-focused trips.
SPEC SHEET
● Price points vary as per the destination and duration of the cruise. Larger cruise experiences tend to be more cost-effective than bespoke, smaller ones.
● You can expect stellar service on premium yachts, as well as the opportunity to dock and tour port towns
● Typical itineraries differ depending on the company and the area. Larger cruise lines include areas for sport and entertainment, as well as multiple dining options. Smaller ones have more limited options.
● Top-ranked cruise experiences: Alaskan cruises, river cruises through Europe, remote cruises to unique destinations like the Galapagos Islands, Antarctica, or Norwegian Fjords for specialised experiences and nature-focused trips
Getting Giggy With It
When art consultant Geet Nagi found out about the Coldplay Asia and Australia tour, she immediately rallied the troops. “Coldplay’s music was such a major part of my teenage years, so I wanted to relive that feeling of shared nostalgia with my school friends,” she says. She convinced the group to attend the concert in Singapore—a destination she had never visited—and booked a five-night stay even though the concert was only on one. “It was wonderful. I got to see a fun new destination with my buddies. Apart from the concert, we partied, shopped, ate and saw lots of art."
Taylor Swift’s upcoming concerts in Singapore in March have also seen a huge surge in travel bookings. According to data collected by booking portal Cleartrip, there was a 32 per cent increase in bookings of destinations around Coldplay’s Asia music tours and Swift’s have seen a 27 per cent increase. This ties in with other industry insights too. The travel trends report for 2024 published by Skyscanner showed that 37 per cent of Indian travellers were willing to fly short haul to hear their favourite bands play live, while 20 per cent would even fly longer distances.
“Event-based travel is emerging as a significant trend, driven by the enthusiasm of India’s millennials and Gen Z,” explains Rajeev Kale, president and country head, holidays, MICE, visa of Thomas Cook (India) Limited. “Their keen interest in live concerts, events, and cultural immersion is poised to be a driving force for travel in the upcoming year. This demographic seeks immersive experiences that go beyond traditional tourism, reflecting a desire for dynamic and culturally rich journeys.”
SPEC SHEET
● Upcoming Concerts: Taylor Swift in Singapore, March 2-9; Ed Sheeran in Mumbai, March 16
● Book your tickets directly with the event organiser. Sign up for mailing lists too.
● Attend with like-minded company. Arrive well in advance and identify food, water and toilet stations on arrival. Check event website for announcements.
● Stay close to the venue. Wear comfortable clothes. Stay hydrated.
Rested Development, Detoxed Days
It may seem like social media influencers live their lives online. Yet when content creator and public speaker, Ruchika Lohiya (@_chikka) was on a recent family vacation, she decided it was the best time to put all gadgets away. “Family holidays are the best time for a complete digital detox,” she says. A shunning of devices allows her to live in the moment while also helping strengthen family bonds.
Digital detox is one thing, but the latest trend in the wellness sector is sleep tourism. The chaotic life we lead in this day and age hardly allows people to contemplate. Many suffer from sleep problems as a result. According to the Skyscanner trend report, one-fifth of the people surveyed said that sleeping would be one of the main activities during their holiday.
At Six Senses Vana in Dehradun, a dedicated sleep programme is a huge draw for clients. General manager Jaspreet Singh describes this programme as combining principles of Ayurveda with the proprietary technologies and wellness practices of the global Six Senses brand. “You get a sleep tracker when you arrive which is attached to software on your phone. It tells you the different phases of your sleep and how they are affecting you. A programme is tailor-made for your sleep needs. People availing of this package check in for a minimum of five nights and address deep-rooted issues whose symptoms include insomnia, sleep apnea and snoring.”
According to Skyscanner, 43 per cent of travellers in England feel that just taking time off from daily life helps them sleep better, while another 27 per cent credit it to being out in the open while 14 per cent sleep better in clean, calm accommodation. City hotels also offer sleep enhancing packages that include ‘specially curated playlists’ and ‘carefully considered lighting and temperature’.
SPEC SHEET
● Specialist wellness properties have strict sleep or detox programmes, and hand out strict itineraries, including regulation of activities and diet. If you are just checking in to catch up on your sleep and cut off, it’s best to do that with no agenda.
● Price points vary depending on the property and the programme. Traditional Ayurvedic centres can be affordable while premium properties can be heavy on the pocket.
● Best places for such vacations: Six Senses Vana Dehradun, Ananda in the Himalayas Rishikesh, Shreyas Retreat Bengaluru, Six Senses Fort Barwara Rajasthan, Niraamaya Surya Samudram Kovalam, Amanbagh Rajasthan, Atmantan Wellness Centre Maharashtra, Dharana at Shillim.
On The Fly
Pavneet Kaur Sachdeva (@pavneetsachdeva), a marketing professional and influencer with a passion for travel and food, recalls an interesting incident from a recent trip to Thailand. “We were travelling to one island from another, and I exchanged experiences and recommendations for places to check out and stay at with another solo female traveller. I loved her suggestions, and I hope she enjoyed mine too; nothing was pre-planned but it was great to be able to seek out something new and different.”
For travel and lifestyle content creator Damini Passi (@daminipassi), every trip is about spontaneous and slow travel. This translates to no rushed itineraries, no plans, and only relaxation. “Now it’s all about visiting a few must visit places at the destination and returning to it again to enjoy what we couldn’t see the first time. It’s a wonderful way of enjoying every single moment of your holiday,” she declares.
Saloni Mahajan Narang, director at Paras Corporation India and Middle East, a consultancy for luxury brands, swears by no-agenda travel. “Gone are the days of a hectic itinerary deciding how you must see your dream destination. Exploring a region or a city with no planned itinerary can be both liberating and exciting,” she feels.
These surrender seekers are travellers willing to embrace spontaneity and adventure, rejecting rigid planning for the thrill of the unknown. While Kaur always plans essential details such as where to stay and how to get around in advance, she enjoys the surprise of finding new things to do on the go. “Plans I have improvised on the spot have often turned out to be some of the best moments of my travels,” she says.
SPEC SHEET
● Research places to stay and transportation options beforehand. The rest can be flexible.
● Do find out about convenient places to eat and transportation
● If you have a vague idea of the kind of activities you would like to explore, do some research before heading out. Focus on opening times and days, entry prices and potential hazards.
● It is best to travel to popular tourist locations when trying a no-agenda trip for the first time
Free of Spirits
When Smita Thakur attended her friend’s bachelorette party in Goa five years ago, the first thing their group of five did was to hit the stores to stock up on alcohol. The set-up was perfect for a thoroughly debauched weekend. Currently following an Ayurvedic lifestyle and having shunned liquor for the last two years, she can’t imagine doing it again. “I think we were all really young and stupid back then,” she laughs.
With more and more people going sober, low- to no-alcohol holidays are set to become the norm, with people preferring to pick hotels that offer decent alcohol-free drink options. Althaf Mohamed Ali Chief Operating Officer, Pulse Hotels & Resorts, the company that owns and manages Kandima Maldives has indeed observed the rising trend of individuals focusing on health, mindfulness and relaxation without the presence of alcohol.
“At Kandima Maldives we offer a variety of creative and non-alcoholic beverage options, such as tropical mocktails, infused waters and lemonades, Asian herbal teas, special iced teas and coffees, milkshakes; the options are limitless,” he explains.
The Chenot Palace Gabala in Azerbaijan too has seen an uptick in the number of guests requesting alcohol-free experiences. Says general manager Rishad Sharifov, “To meet this demand, we adhere to the Chenot Diet, incorporating detox food with 850 daily calories and non-alcoholic beverage options.”
Rucha Sukhramani of Shreyas Retreat, Bengaluru, feels that many guests choose their property solely because they are a pure vegetarian retreat, with a strict no-tobacco and no-alcohol policy. “We have had many guests who have come to us for help with addiction issues and have been successful in reverting to a healthy lifestyle, Sukhramani says.
SPEC SHEET
● Best destinations for sober trips: Maldives, Sri Lanka, Peru, Malaysia, certain parts of India, Morocco, Japan, Colombia, Costa Rica, Los Angeles, Sweden, Budapest, Santorini, Seoul, UAE
The Great Out Break
In keeping with the mandate for relaxed holidays, people are picking properties based on the number of outdoor activities offered in the vicinity of the property and around it. Pickleball courts, ping-pong tables and outdoor hot tubs are all becoming top priorities for travellers seeking active and outdoorsy holidays. Travellers also book holiday homes with amenities they either cannot afford to have at home, or that they want to try out before they buy themselves.
People checking in to Six Senses Vana can attend wellness sessions in the morning, enjoy an Ayurvedic meal right after and play a game of pickleball or tennis at their well-equipped sports arena in the evening. Hence, even long-term ‘vanavasis’, as guests of this property are known, never feel the need to leave. However, if a sports or game centre isn’t readily available on the property, tourists now search for interesting excursions before booking.
The team behind the serene villas of Ahilya by the Sea in Goa, are happy to organise kayaking trips to the mangroves nearby or a heritage walk to the Reis Magos Fort. Yeshwant Holkar, the owner of the property, says, “A day out fishing is also a popular excursion, as is the nature trail through the mangroves of the Nerul river.”
Similarly, Malabar House in Kochi relies heavily on local flavour. Guests are encouraged to participate in the Walking through Fort Cochin tour. “We also organise tuk tuk tours tailored to specific interests, along with organising kathakali performances,” says Joerg Drechsel, the owner. Other popular outdoor activities include harbour tours, country boat punting, speed boat safaris and exploring the backwaters in their in-houseboat, Discovery.
SPEC SHEET
● Best activities to explore within a property: Tennis, pickleball, squash, swimming, golf
● Best activities to explore outside a property: Nature treks, local markets, adventure sport activities, water sport activities like snorkelling and deep-sea diving
● These activities should be undertaken under supervision and it’s best to take expert advice
The Artificial Aesthetic
The most hotly debated topic of 2024 is AI, and this debate hasn’t spared the travel industry. While companies with years of experience are likely to dismiss this trend purely for its cookie-cutter approach, young travellers on a budget are turning to it in droves. Fuelling this trend further are online portals who have readily adopted generative AI tools to make their user experience faster.
Yeishan Goel, group CEO of THRS (Travel and Hospitality Representation Services),
a luxury travel consultancy, describes generative AI as technology that takes a large quantum of data available online and manages to give a quick intuitive solution, while offering a refined context as compared to a plain binary search. He concludes that this is why feedback from generative travel aids can be more appealing for some. “It’s certainly a draw for customers looking for specific answers and confident suggestions amid a plethora of information.” He’s sceptical about actual results, however.
“We see several individuals and companies using the tools to draft itineraries and seek help in initial planning. However, the actual execution of the plan has to be done by oneself or by experienced travel designers, and this ultimately defines the overall experience.”
Ruchi Kohli, chief of the experience at bespoke luxury travel agency, Away&Co agrees with him. “Away&Co is not a mass travel business, our trips are considered to be among the most experiential and well-planned in the industry. We don’t use AI to plan any of our trips because we rely on Authentic Intelligence,” she says. Kohli concludes that AI can never replace the experience of looking after guests at every step.
SPEC SHEET
● AI can streamline your search. It can help draw up basic itineraries. It can search for the best deals. It can sift through hundreds of reviews and present the best. It can act as a virtual assistant.
● Potential pitfalls: It cannot replace the human on-ground experience. AI can easily be manipulated and so results may not be as accurate as a known person’s advice. For guaranteed safety and bespoke curation, rely on a human-based travel agency.