How Indian women are redefining the experiential travel boom

The rising financial independence of women is getting reflected in how they travel. It is not just that more women are travelling; they are doing so more frequently, seeking richer experiences and spending more on their trips. In doing so, they are pushing the boundaries of traditional travel and exploring new destinations.

“Women comprise a significant share of our leisure customers, with a marked shift from being the mother figure on family vacations to confident travellers in their own right,” says Rajeev Kale, president and country head-holidays, MICE, Visa at Thomas Cook (India) Limited.

Women are increasingly travelling with their best friends or “girl gangs”. Other growing formats include mother-daughter bonding trips, kitty-party groups, bachelorette holidays and babymoons. Corporate women are also taking more “b-leisure” trips, extending work travel to include leisure days for sightseeing and relaxation instead of rushing back home.

International booking data from travel platform Pickyourtrail shows that 40-46 per cent of women travellers are Gen Z and younger millennials (18-35), and they are taking more overseas trips. About 60-70 per cent of women travelling internationally in groups do so with friends while mother-daughter trips are steadily rising.

Interestingly, every second woman traveller takes another international trip within a year, suggesting that travel is no longer a one-off or once-in-a-lifetime experience. In fact, 50-60 per cent say they intend to take two to five international trips annually.

Women are also moving away from cookie-cutter itineraries and seeking new experiences and destinations. Many want to learn a new skill or pursue personal interests even as safety remains an important consideration. Key themes in their travel include culture, cuisine, architecture, wellness and shopping.

According to Pickyourtrail data, 75 per cent of adventure, cultural and nature-heavy international trips are taken by women. Around 60-70 per cent choose destinations for cultural attractions while another 50-60 per cent prioritise natural landscapes. As a result, personalisation-led bookings among women’s groups have grown 35-40 per cent year on year, signalling rising demand for curated, non-template itineraries.

“Popular requests include trekking, ATV (all-terrain vehicle) rides in Bali, surfing in Sri Lanka, silver ring-making workshops in Ubud, jeep safaris, boating experiences and curated culinary explorations,” says Hari Ganapathy, co-founder and CEO of Pickyourtrail. He adds that there is a clear shift in how women view travel: experiences are becoming a way not only to explore new places but to spend meaningful time with loved ones.

At Thomas Cook India, Kale says there is a growing demand for exclusive gastronomic experiences, from selecting produce at a farmers’ market or cooking with a local chef in Brussels or Barcelona to certification courses at the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. Indian women travellers are also increasingly seeking outdoor adventure, such as biking in Leh-Ladakh, snowboarding and heli-skiing in the Alps, abseiling in Malaysia’s Sabah jungles, whale watching in Sri Lanka, and even participating in marathons.

“What is particularly noteworthy is the growing trend of women travelling to learn new skills, such as Thailand’s kickboxing or Muay Thai, archery in Bhutan or Kerala’s martial art Kalaripayattu,” he says.

Many women also travel to celebrate milestones and create memories, says S.D. Nandakumar, president and country head-holidays and corporate tours, SOTC Travel, whether it is for friend reunions and birthdays or mothers opting for ‘momcations’ to recharge. Solo women travellers are exploring offbeat international destinations, such as Yamanashi, Menton, Ha Giang and Phu Quoc while within India, they are discovering scenic gems like Chikhaldara, Daksum and Jibhi.

In the domestic market, Nandakumar says, shopping trails and heritage walks in Jaipur and Udaipur are quite popular, along with vineyard tours in Nashik, and yoga and wellness retreats in Rishikesh and Kerala. Even cultural and temple trails across Tamil Nadu are of interest to many. Adventure experiences, such as surfing in Auroville and Mulki; bamboo rafting in Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary and Kanger Valley National Park; trekking and biking in Manali, Spiti Valley and Tawang; and scenic coastal drives across Kerala and Karnataka are gaining traction.

It is, therefore, not surprising that premium travel is becoming the default choice for many women, says Ganapathy. While women are travelling several times a year, they are also spending more on each trip. On an average, women spend Rs 70,000-Rs 1 lakh per person per trip, and 18-22 per cent more per day than other traveller segments.

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