Travellers are increasingly making their passions the basis of their travels. Think of music lovers joining popstar Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in Singapore, cricket fans travelling to the US for the recently concluded T20 World Cup, or sports enthusiasts booking tickets for the Paris Olympics 2024.
What is passion tourism?
Have you ever travelled to Lucknow just to eat delicious kebabs, or planned a weekend in Mohali to watch a cricket match or travelled abroad occasionally to see a live music concert? If yes, then you have indulged in passion tourism. It usually involves a combination of a thirst for travel and a keen interest. You can passion-travel for adventure, sports, wildlife, music, food – the list is endless.
‘A big change’ in Indian travellers’ preferences
Santosh Kumar, Country Manager, India, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Indonesia, Booking.com says, “When Taylor Swift and Coldplay announced their concert dates in June 2023, Singapore saw a 10x increase in year-on-year searches by travellers across the world. In May this year, our search data showed a 30% increase in year-on-year searches by Indian travellers for Paris during the 2024 Olympics.”
Daniel D’Souza, President and Country Head, Holidays, SOTC Travel, says, “We have seen a strong shift in Indian travellers’ preferences and willingness to spend on experiences.” He further added, “Occasion or event-based travel for events such as Coachella and Tomorrowland, cultural festivals such as La Tomatina, and experiences such as chasing the northern lights in Norway or an African safari have seen a rise in demand.”
“This year, 25% of Indian travellers are planning to travel to experience a cultural event, 21% are planning to travel for a music festival or concert and 17% are planning to travel for a sporting event,” says Kumar.
Domestic passion projects also rule
“This trend is not just limited to international events. There is also a lot of demand for domestic, state-specific events like the Hornbill Festival in Nagaland, Ziro Festival in Arunachal Pradesh and Magnetic Fields Festival in Rajasthan,” says Rajeev Kale, president and country head (Holidays, MICE, Visa), Thomas Cook (India) Ltd. “Booking searches grew by 19% during Rann Utsav (Gujarat). During the Hornbill Festival, passengers flying to Nagaland grew by 13%,” says Karthik Prabhu, head of strategy, Cleartrip.
Setjetting
Nishant Pitti, CEO and co-founder of EaseMyTrip, says, “Shows like The White Lotus (above) and Emily in Paris inspire viewers to explore special places and indulge in things they are passionate about.” The buzz around passion tourism is also fuelled by actors pursuing their interests through travel, whether it was Kareena Kapoor Khan who went on a safari in Tanzania earlier this year or Dia Mirza who visited Assam’s Kaziranga National Park on World Wildlife Day (March 3) this year.
List of Passionate Journeys 2024
Hornbill Festival, Nagaland (1-10 December)
Pushkar Camel Fair, Rajasthan (from November 9)
Serendipity Arts Festival, Goa (December 15-22)
Mysore Dussehra, Karnataka (3 October)
Mumbai Comic-Con (July 25-28)
55th International Film Festival of India (IFFI), Goa (November 20-28)
