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| Edited By: |Source: |Updated: Sep 30, 2022, 07:10 PM IST
Indians have been indulging in experience-based traveling more than ever. With over 400% growth in experiential travel in the last five years, this travel sector in the online segment is expected to grow by almost 500% in the next two years. Experiences have gained their much needed value in travel plans and are now a key factor before tourists plan a vacation. According to the booking trends of Thrillophilia, there has been an exponential shift from the traditional set-itinerary way of travel to an experiential one in both international and domestic destinations, especially in post-pandemic scenarios. The search volume on Google for ‘things to do’ at a destination has also grown by 280% post pandemic. While making a choice for which destination to travel, the key decisive factor has now been the things to do there, whereas a decade before it was always accessibility.
With a yearning for the unconventional, adventurous and the local, the modern Indian traveler is now more focused on how they can experience a place in a unique way.
Immersive experiences on a rise
Today’s travelers are constantly in search of experiences that broaden their idea of travel while giving them Instagram worthy clicks. By exploring off-beat places, local food, indulging in adventure activities or in a unique experience, the horizons are constantly expanding where travelers want to try different things and experience much more. Their needs have evolved where they are not just opting for sight-seeing in multi day tours but are constantly in search of experiences that connect them intimately with the destination. For instance, when Museum Of The Future opened up in Dubai, Indians flocked there to experience Dubai’s futuristic goals and more than 12,000 tickets were sold in a matter of 90 days at Thrillophilia.
With changing times, travel experiences are curated in such a way that offers a refreshing change with a hint of authenticity in its essence. For instance, Thrillophilia keeps up with the vogue by perennially meeting the need of experiential travel with a range of experiences like yacht rentals, sunset cruises, wellness retreats and adventure activities that mark a distinguishing factor in travel experience for their customers.
How are Luxury Experiences changing over time ?
Post Covid, the nature of luxury experiences saw a significant change in its scope where budget has become no longer a constraint. People are now ready to indulge in experiences beyond a stay at a 5 star hotel.
To get more than a customary tourist experience, luxury experiential traveling now demands a touch of personalization, where the consumer has things tailored according to their fancy. For instance, the luxury spa sessions in Bali, romantic dinner in the wilderness, helicopter rides over the Grand Canyon, yacht rentals, hot air balloon rides, premium desert safari in Dubai are few of the trending bookings in Thrillophilia. Dining at the Nusr-Et-Steakhouse on their flamboyant 24K gold steak or indulging in an underwater dining experience at Oseano, The Atlantis have been popular among people looking for more unique and exotic experiences while traveling. Luxury Experience has seen a demand for uncrowded places in contrast to the popular ones. For instance, even in domestic travel, Thrillophilia sees a rising need of luxury staycations in remote parts of India.
Need for adventure takes a leap
Lately, the urge for outdoor recreation has evolved into the niche of adventure experiences. Almost 30% of Indian travelers below 40 have been opting for a challenging trek or adventurous activities on a regular basis. Interestingly, adventure experience is not only sought after by youngsters, but it is gaining popularity among the elderly as well. Initiatives like the KTM Adventure Getaways by Thrillophilia successfully cater to the needs of the 10K+ biking enthusiasts. Not only in India but even internationally, people are scouting for activities which will nudge their adrenaline. Indians are choosing International destinations by prioritizing adventure experiences that the destination has to offer. For instance, there is a significant surge in demand for Skydiving, Dune Bashing and X-line, Deepdive in Dubai; scuba , skydiving and bungee jumping in Thailand; Fly-boarding, parasailing, paragliding, trekking and a ride on the giant swing in Bali.
Swelling popularity of Weekend Experiences
With busy schedules, people feel the desire for a quick merriment, hence weekend getaways are gaining popularity each day post covid. Earlier, it seemed like pent up demand but ever since the restrictions were relaxed after the pandemic, the demand for weekend experiences have been constantly growing. Thrillophilia has remarkably aided to this need by facilitating short treks, campings and staycations from different parts of India. Experiential stays in the outskirts of cities, which offer unique experiences like coffee plantation walk in Chikmagalur, nature camping around Rishikesh, and more, have seen a significant rise in its demand.
Experiential Travel is here to stay
With new travel priorities and a willingness to dive beyond the familiar, travelers from all age and economic sectors are seeking out unique experiences to create long-lasting memories on their trips.
Homogenized itineraries are gradually taking a back seat and Indian travelers are looking out for explorative options which are more immersive and inclusive in nature. As a matter of fact, the post-pandemic recovery of the Indian travel sector is seeing a major boom in experiential traveling.
According to predictions of Thrillophilia, the surge of travel experiences is expected to skyrocket its way by almost 500% in the next two years. And with the evolving travel needs of people and the never ending scopes of exploration, travel companies like Thrillophilia are equipping themselves constantly to bring one-of-a- kind experiences through a myriad of unexplored possibilities.
(Above mentioned article is a featured content, This article does not have journalistic/editorial involvement of IDPL, and IDPL claims no responsibility whatsoever)
