Musafir hoon yaaron

While the chinese believe in the mantra of shop till you drop, Indians prefer to experience the sights and sounds of unknown places. We map the changing psyche of the modern Indian traveller

Musafir hoon yaaron

While the Chinese believe in the mantra of shop till you drop, Indians prefer to experience the sights and sounds of unknown places. We map the changing psyche of the modern Indian traveller

illustration/Jishu Dev Malakar

Roshni is not an exception. Tour operators claim an increasing number of Indians now prefer vacationing at their own pace, as opposed to cramming in the maximum number of hotspots for photo-ops into their itinerary: A mindset said to be unlike that of the quintessential Chinese traveller's.

In a 2008 study conducted by the European Travel Commission in, it was found that Chinese tourists reserve more than one third of their holiday budget for shopping, while a 2006 survey indicated that 46% Chinese travellers ate European food only once while holidaying in the continent. The results were attributed to the Chinese value system that allegedly prizes acquisition over experience.

That used to be our story as well. "When we started out in 1976, Indians would buy electronic appliances in bulk from abroad. But in the '90s, post the economic liberalisation, they started focusing on the experience," says Lalit Sheth, CMD, Raj Travels. "Today's well-Googled traveller opts to drive himself through Scandinavia or to dine in mid-air inside a cable car in Switzerland."

Freelance real estate agent Shweta Sethia (37), who has taken two trips across Europe with Backpackers Co, agrees. "Right from shopping in Paris during the July sales where I bought branded goods at up to 80% off, going on a beer crawl in Munich to visiting a pub frequented by politicians in Prague, I did it all. It's only in the elders in my family, who prefer regular tours as they guarantee timely meals and safety," she says.
Yogesh Shah, founder, Backpackers Co, says that an increasing demand for experiential tours, resulted in them including single malt treks in Scotland and wine trails in France.

"The media revolution has inspired people to opt for offbeat experiences," he says. According to Neelu Singh, COO, Ezeego1.com, Indians travelling abroad are spending 75% of their budget on sightseeing and only 20% on shopping. "On our women-only tours we find women spending 40% on shopping, spas and exploring the local culture and cuisine," she says. The most unique demand she has had so far is to visit Costa Rica to watch the sea turtles.

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