Is Experiential Travel the Future of Tourism? Industry Experts Say It's Already Here
This evolution is not limited to niche experiences; it's being embraced on an institutional level too. According to Kedar Naik, Director of Tourism, Government of Goa, 'Experiential travel isn't just the next big trend—it's the future of meaningful tourism." Goa Tourism has been actively pivoting toward immersive and regenerative experiences through curated hinterland trails, spiritual circuits like the Ekadasha Teertha, heritage walks, and community-led homestays. 'We want every traveller to leave with a sense of place, a local connection, and a commitment to preserve the beauty they experience," says Naik.
From the government to the grassroots, the shift is palpable. Alok K Singh, Chairman and CEO of Travomint, notes that travellers today are choosing engagement over escapism. 'The desire isn't just to visit a place, but to truly engross in it. There's a heightening appreciation for local culture, human connection, and immersive storytelling." Whether it's learning crafts or sharing meals with local families, Singh emphasizes that authenticity is becoming the cornerstone of modern travel.
This insight is echoed by Mithun Jha, Director at Reservations Deal, who notes a surge in demand for 'immersive and alluring activities along with personalized experiences." According to Jha, data shows that travellers are increasingly choosing cooking classes, village tours, and offbeat explorations over lavish hotel stays. 'People are actively choosing partaking over profligacy. Experiential travel offers higher emotional ROI, making it an increasingly opted model in the evolving travel era," he says.
At the heart of this transformation are young travellers, especially Gen Z, who are driving the demand for experiential offerings. Pallavi Agarwal, Founder and CEO of goSTOPS, sees this as more than a trend—it's a movement. 'Gen Z craves experiences. They want to create long-lasting memories and find meaning in travel. We've noticed travellers curating their itineraries based on conversations with fellow guests, not internet-curated lists."
Even the way people plan travel is changing. Gaurav Malik, Country Director for India, Sri Lanka, and Nepal at Agoda, notes a sharp rise in travel linked to cultural events and festivals. 'Experiential travel is transforming how Indians explore. More travellers are seeking immersive connections through music festivals, concerts, and cultural events." He cites Coldplay's upcoming concert in Mumbai as a prime example, which led to a 33-fold spike in accommodation searches on Agoda. 'Such events not only boost tourism but enhance India's cultural appeal," he adds.
Advertisement
As travel becomes more individualistic, the appeal lies in moments that are unscripted and soulful. Rahul Dhawan, Sales Director at Dial for Holidays LLP, observes that people aren't looking to escape anymore—they're looking to connect. 'Whether it's learning from a local artisan, joining a small ritual, or living the slow life in a rural community, it's about the deep involvement and not just about the distance travelled," he says. Dhawan believes experiential travel offers something grounding and emotionally nourishing in an increasingly digitized world.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mint
an hour ago
- Mint
Warner Bros Discovery restructuring may back India OTT plans—but faces challenges
Warner Bros Discovery's decision to split its streaming and studio business from its traditional TV networks may give a fresh push to its digital plans in India—but growing in the country's crowded and price-sensitive OTT market won't be easy. Under the restructuring, Global Networks will house entertainment, sports and news television brands such as CNN and Discovery, along with digital products including the discovery+ streaming platform. The newly formed Streaming & Studios entity will comprise Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group and DC Studios, which will continue releasing their films theatrically in India. David Zaslav, president and CEO of Warner Bros Discovery, said in a global release, 'By operating as two distinct and optimised companies, we are empowering these brands with the sharper focus and strategic flexibility they need to compete most effectively in today's evolving media landscape." Also read: Why Warner boss Zaslav is having to split up the media empire he built 'This separation will invigorate each company by enabling them to leverage their strengths and specific financial profiles. This will also allow each company to pursue important investment opportunities and drive shareholder value," added CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels. India playbook challenges The separation could allow Warner Bros Discovery to invest more aggressively in OTT in India, especially in subscription-based models. However, the challenges are plenty. Currently, the company only runs the discovery+ streaming service in India, while syndicating most of its intellectual property (IP) to JioHotstar. Experts believe that the platform, now free from having to serve traditional TV audiences, could lean into bold, edgy content aimed at younger demographics. 'The digital business isn't big in India, and it will have to show revenue now," said Girish Dwibhashyam, streaming industry expert and former vice-president and chief operating officer of DocuBay, a documentary streaming service. 'The split could rejuvenate their investments in OTT but it would also bring down their negotiating power with Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and aggregators for distribution partnerships since it would no longer come under the same umbrella as broadcast," he added. While Warner Bros Discovery has dabbled in infotainment, science, and mythology in India, Dwibhashyam sees room for more daring content experiments. Given that they no longer have the baggage of producing the same programming for both TV and OTT, the company could explore edgier themes, he said. Also read: Online games and self-publishing platforms: movie producers tap new avenues for fresh plotlines Vinay V. Singh, managing director (USA), Primus Partners, added that the company could now double down on high-quality originals and global formats. 'These are key to capturing Indian millennials and Gen Z in a fiercely competitive OTT landscape," he said. Singh also said HBO-branded content, currently available via video-on-demand through partnerships like JioHotstar, may gain more muscle with renewed global backing. Despite the digital optimism, linear television remains dominant in India, especially in smaller towns and non-English-speaking markets. However, if other global media giants follow Warner Bros Discovery's decoupling strategy, standalone TV units may need to raise ad or subscription rates to remain viable. This could further drive viewers toward cheaper OTT platforms, including those that rely on advertising-based video-on-demand (AVoD). Industry experts anticipate that the decoupling trend could push streaming companies to innovate their pricing models. Expect bundles that include local originals, micropayments, ad insertions, and dynamic pricing to boost reach while protecting average revenue per user (ARPU). Subscription blues Yet, streaming monetization remains a hurdle in India. According to a report by Ormax Media, India's video streaming audience stood at 547.3 million, but active paid subscriptions stagnated at 99.6 million. Notably, the SVoD (subscription video-on-demand) audience declined by 2% in 2024, even as the AVoD base grew by 21%. 'Foreign companies haven't really seen India as a hot market. Plus, there isn't real value in SVoD yet," said Sunil Lulla, founder, The Linus Adventures. Warner Bros Discovery has also refrained from fully adopting the ad-supported model in India. Last year, Sai Abishek, head of factual and lifestyle cluster, South Asia, had said the platform would continue to focus primarily on a subscription-driven model. What's next While Warner Bros Discovery declined to comment on Mint's queries for this story, industry watchers say the company's strategic split could be a reset moment for its India plans. However, competing in a saturated market—dominated by players like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, ZEE5, and SonyLIV—will demand more than just capital. It will require smart partnerships, platform innovation, and the courage to bet big on differentiated content. Also read: Few winners, many misses in Bollywood's lopsided H1 recovery story
News18
an hour ago
- News18
Woman Leaves ‘Average' Life In US For Something ‘Extraordinary' In India
Last Updated: 'I've met some fantastic people, visited some incredible locations, eaten some delicious food and had my heart permanently transformed," the woman said. Today, many Indians, especially the younger generation, aspire to move abroad in search of better economic opportunities and an improved quality of life. Amid this trend, an American woman has captured attention on social media for making a life-altering choice in the opposite direction. Kristen Fischer, along with her husband Tim and their three daughters, relocated to India in 2021, leaving behind what she described as an 'average but pleasant" life in the US. Four years on, she says she has no regrets but gratitude. In a video shared on Instagram, Fischer offered a reflection on the life-changing decision. 'What would you choose? I realised I had control over the course of my life. I could choose to live an ordinary life in the United States or to do something bold and extraordinary." She documented their time in India through a collage video displaying their cultural discoveries, street food explorations, small-town happiness, Indian weddings, festivals and much more. 'We moved our family to India 4 years ago and haven't regretted it a bit," she added. Further sharing her review of living in India for the past 4 years, she mentioned, 'In the last four years, I've met some fantastic people, visited some incredible locations, eaten some delicious food, and had my heart permanently transformed. India has changed my life forever, and I'll never be the same. You only have one life; how will you live it?" The video resonated with the viewers, prompting many to share their reactions. An Instagram user commented, 'I'm jealous, seriously." Another one wrote, 'This is so cute." One of them commented, 'I'm Indian and my husband is American. We are in the process of moving to India very soon. I can't wait to be there." 'You have a blessed life! Glad you're enjoying," a comment read. Their decision to relocate to India wasn't just driven by emotion; it also made financial sense. In another video, Kristen Fischer opened up about their work life, revealing that she and her husband run a web development business that primarily serves Western clients. Kristen Fischer and her husband run a web development company that primarily caters to Western clients and earns in US dollars. Since they live in India, where the cost of living is significantly lower than in the United States, they are able to spend their dollar income in Indian rupees.
New Indian Express
4 hours ago
- New Indian Express
All that glitters now is actually gold
Many Indians believe that we are, as a nation, among the best investors in gold worldwide. But quite often, the difference between physical consumption and investment is lost. Interestingly, studies across the Indian sub-continent have found that there is a clear emotional connect between the yellow metal and its consumers. A gold loan financing company's CEO, I professionally interacted with, told me that irrespective of gold price swings, his company's delinquency ratio always remained minimal. Other than commodity traders who deal in the precious metal and are not averse to selling it when found profitable to, the rest, by and large tend to hoard and pass gold down their generations. This has been the historic trend in India. What has changed though is the growing number of younger investors who prefer to use gold as a pure investment avenue and accumulate it with the clear-cut intention of profiting from it at the appropriate time. Smart investors have historically used Gold as a natural hedge in their portfolios to their equity holdings as in periods of crisis, when equities tend to weaken, gold has surged. This was clearly witnessed in the early months of this decade, when the first Covid wave swept across the globe. This trend has remained with Gold emerging since then as one of the outperforming Asset classes. While Covid was the catalyst, the periodic flare-ups in geo-political hotspots have ensured that the price of Gold has been north bound. Besides the purchase of physical gold, the more popular avenues used by those that invest in gold are Exchange traded Funds (ETFs) and Fund of Funds. Gold ETFs are units representing physical gold in dematerialized form. One Gold ETF unit is equal to 1 gram of 24k gold and is backed by physical gold of very high purity. Gold ETFs combine the flexibility of stock investment and the simplicity of gold investments and are listed at the premier stock exchanges, and traded just like the stock of any company. A demat account is necessary to transact in Gold ETFs and the new 12.5% rate post two years of holding taxation rules are applicable on the realized gains therefrom. Gold Fund of Funds, more commonly referred to as Gold Mutual Funds are open-ended funds which invest in units of Gold ETF. The returns of these funds reflect that of the underlying Gold ETF. While these funds are very convenient for making pre-set (e.g. SIP) purchases and sales in gold, the expense ratios levied by the fund houses running them, make them marginally costlier. Its taxation is the same as ETFs. Yet, besides the convenience of auto-pilot investing that it offers, it also ensures disciplined investing making it a popular choice. A look at gold returns over the last five years suggests it has been not just a hedge option but also an out-performer. But, notwithstanding fears of a price correction, there is still smart money accumulating it, betting on the stupidity of mankind and its inability to live in peace. (Ashok Kumar heads LKW India. The views expressed here are his own)
