This article has been contributed by Ramanpreet Singh, Chief Growth Officer, SKIL Travel
Millennials and Gen Z are reshaping the Indian travel experience. Just as they are playing the role of travel curator and researcher, their priorities have changed from traditional travel. Essentially, ticking off one another’s ‘hit list’ of tourist places is no longer the goal of travel; they want trips that feature authenticity, mindfulness, and discovery. While Goa, Manali, and Jaipur still regularly attract a good share of Indian travelers, these younger travelers are increasingly gravitating toward quieter, more ‘off-beat’ and lesser-known places—Gokarna over Goa, Naldehra instead of Shimla, Ashtamudi instead of Alleppey.
As Ramanpreet Singh, Chief Growth Officer at SKIL Travel, observes, this shift is being shaped not only by destination preferences but also by the way trips are planned. With AI and other generative tools aiding itineraries, and a more patient, deliberate travel pace, this generation is forging paths that are less travelled. In creating itineraries, they are consciously choosing experiences that allow them to discover, reflect, and orient their travels toward meaning rather than just milestones.
Lifestyle Travel
For the Millennials and Gen Z of India, travel is not about ticking off monuments any more; it’s about immersion, meaning, and impact. They are swapping typical tourist experiences for more authentic experiences, like celebrating Holi in Mathura, learning Kathakali in Kerala, or attending a yoga retreat in Rishikesh. Sustainability is also influencing travel, with stays in Coorg’s coffee estates or eco-villages in Ladakh increasingly popular. Travel is viewed as learning about oneself, whether that be trekking the Spiti Valley in Himachal or volunteering on a farm in rural Rajasthan. From music festivals in Goa to wellness tourism in Kerala, the new Indian traveler is looking for transformative experiences, rather than merely transitory experiences.
Sanvi Barjatya
Weddings, Business & Wellness
Millennials and Gen Z are redefining Indian tourism by blending celebration, work, and self-care. Destination weddings are booming, with Rajasthan’s royal palaces in Udaipur and Jaipur, and Goa’s beaches leading the trend for grandeur with a modern twist. Parallelly, wellness travel has surged, as younger travelers seek yoga retreats in Rishikesh, Ayurveda therapies in Kerala, and holistic healing experiences in Coorg or Dharamshala. The rise of “bleisure” trips is equally striking business hubs like Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Gurugram are seeing professionals extend work travel into leisure escapes, signaling a future where Indian tourism thrives on flexibility, wellness, and cultural immersion.
Social Media Influence
Travel in India for Millennials and Gen Z may be influenced by Instagram aesthetics just as much as wanderlust. Viral reels are responsible for trips to Meghalaya’s living root bridges, the Rann of Kutch’s dazzling white desert and the rainbow streets of Pondicherry. A safari in Ranthambore and taking daily heritage walks in Varanasi are just as desirable as a café stint in Shillong or diving into the Andamans. Conscientiously eco-aware travelers are also looking for sustainable packages in destinations such as Coorg or Sikkim. With data-driven offers, festive sales, and loyalty benefits now too raising the ground conditions of affordability, this young wave of Indian tourism is more focused on authentic and shareable experiences on behalf of future-facing tourism.
Startup Opportunities
This trend has created a boom in the startups offering curated experiences: plant-based adventure wildlife safaris in Ranthambore delivered by an AI itinerary, eco-stays in Coorg powered by renewable energy, to even hyper-local food trails in old Delhi booked through mobile-first apps. There are platforms that enable carbon-neutral travel, community-led homestays in Himachal, wellness retreats in Rishikesh, and combinations of technology and authenticity to cater to young travelers who want experiences that emulate just as much travel.
In the restyling of Indian tourism, Millennials and Gen Z have demonstrated that travel is no longer merely about destinations, but intent and experience. Their selected offbeat locations, sustainable accommodations, and tech-enabled personalized experiences indicate a trend towards mindful travel. This new traveler is not only re-structuring India’s travel offerings, they are revolutionizing what a travel story looks like in India.
Sanvi Barjatya