Changing Attitudes — And Latitudes

Whale-spotting, wine-tasting, experiencing local culture — what not! Indians’ vacation preferences are changing and so is their choice of destinations.

- ASHWINI PHADNIS

Spending your summer holidays with grandparents or other family members became passé a long time ago. Over the past few years, what has also become passé is travelling abroad for shopping.

Instead, what Indians are looking for, from their holidays, are relaxation, night life and entertainment. Some are travelling specifically to attend local cultural festivals like the Oktoberfest in Munich or the Rio Carnival in Brazil.

According to Manmeet Ahluwalia, Marketing Head, Expedia in India, now it is not uncommon for travellers to look for opportunities to go whale-spotting, join wine-tasting tours or even visit and help out in areas affected by natural disasters.

Research by CAPA (Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation) indicates that experiencing local food and restaurants is one of the key attractions for overseas travel. For destinations such as Australia, 24 per cent of Indian travellers look forward to trying local food and wine.

With these changing travel trends, what has also changed are the destinations that Indians are opting for. Off-beat choices like Tasmania, Iceland, Holland, Chile, Fiji, South Korea, Israel, Japan, South Africa, the Philippines, Czech Republic and Peru are now preferred over the earlier Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia.

Why this change?

Romil Pant, Senior Vice-President, Holiday, Thomas Cook (India), says travel patterns changed post Delhi hosting the Asian Games in 1982. “The event opened the eyes of the population to the world.”