When Ananya Joshi, a Bengaluru-based 25-year-old graphic designer, recently took a 12-day trip to Gujarat, she wasn’t ticking off a destination from her bucket list. Instead, she chose to spend immersive days exploring the intricately carved stepwells of Patan and Adalaj, Kutch’s hand embroidery and textile traditions, local cuisines, and living cultural practices. She wasn’t in a hurry and took time to interact with craftspeople at their own pace.
Joshi describes the experience as “slow, deeply intentional and purposeful.”
Many Indian travellers are now consciously moving away from cookie-cutter vacations and choosing journeys that are slower and more purposeful. Slow travel is no longer just an emerging trend; it marks a paradigm shift towards more responsible, intentional and deeply personal forms of exploration.
Travel industry insiders note that in a post-COVID world—where mental and physical well-being have moved to the centre of lifestyle choices—travellers are increasingly seeking immersive, restorative and consciously paced journeys. There is a growing desire to mindfully engage with destinations rather than consume them in haste.
This shift is unfolding against the backdrop of India’s growing prominence in the global tourism economy. As of 2025, India ranks as the world’s eighth-largest tourism market, with the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) projecting it will become the fourth-largest within the next decade. This rapid expansion presents both an opportunity and a responsibility—to move beyond volume-driven tourism models and adopt approaches that balance economic growth with environmental sustainability and community well-being.
In this context, slow travel gains prominence. By encouraging longer stays, local consumption and deeper cultural immersion, it delivers high-value, low-impact tourism outcomes. The model supports sustainable livelihoods, reduces pressure on fragile ecosystems and enables a more equitable distribution of tourism benefits across regions and communities.
Industry experts also point to a shift away from crowded, mainstream tourist destinations. Instead, many travellers are seeking offbeat locations that offer lingering experiences infused with local flavour and authenticity. Lesser-known destinations in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, the unexplored corners of Northeast India, coastal Maharashtra, Odisha, Jharkhand and Karnataka are steadily gaining popularity.
Speaking about their efforts to encourage slow travel, Sudarshan Bisht and Priyanka Jha, founders of Transformative Travellers, say, “Slow travel is about depth over distance and connections over checklists. This approach allows travellers to grasp local social and cultural nuances, fostering genuine connections with their surroundings. In a country as complex as India, it is an ideal way to engage with its rich diversity—a philosophy centred on exploring one place, one culture, at a time.”
They have also recently launched Pahadi Experience, a programme designed to help travellers explore mountain life, culture and traditions at a relaxed pace. Sharing a blueprint of their curated slow-travel offerings, Bisht and Jha say, “Many travellers visit Uttarakhand seeking the majesty of the Himalayas but often miss the heart of the region—the local way of life. They rush through, sightseeing rather than soul-seeing. This long-weekend itinerary is a blueprint for a meaningful, affordable adventure designed to immerse travellers in the authentic culture of the mountains and its people.”
“This five-day immersive tour package, starting from Rishikesh or Dehradun, is designed by local villagers and takes travellers through the serene Jakhol village in the Himalayas (Uttarkashi district, Uttarakhand),” they add.
“The slow traveller gets a chance to experience apple orchards, wooden architecture, handicrafts, local Pahadi food, scenic nature trails and mountain tops. Most importantly, they are hosted by local families, allowing close interaction with village life. Though short, the tour enables deep immersion, fostering an instant connection with nature and the local community.”
Suchit Gupta, a Delhi-based consultant, recently spent 10 days in Odisha, deliberately giving popular tourist sites like Puri and Konark a miss. “I began my trip at Hirapur, next to 64 Yogini temple near Bhubaneswar, spending my early mornings meditating in the temple. After that, I travelled to Koraput and loved exploring the land, the people and the coffee. As a coffee lover, visiting the plantations and interacting with locals felt purposeful and deeply soul-satisfying. I had some of the most memorable meals in local homes. There was no pressure, no rush. For the first time while travelling, I felt I truly owned my time,” he says.
India’s domestic tourism sector is currently witnessing new highs. With improved infrastructure, better connectivity to remote regions and a renewed sense of national pride, Indians are increasingly choosing to explore their own diverse landscape. From coffee farm stays in Karnataka and culinary trails in Kerala and Punjab to monasteries in Sikkim, the beaches and temples of Odisha, and the mountain life of Himachal Pradesh, domestic travel is seeing a renewed surge.
Travel is now also being viewed as a form of self-care. Ahmedabad-based Bimal Mehta, who owns Travel Designer, an agency known for curating layered travel experiences, says, “The travel industry has undergone massive changes in the last few years. Travellers are now more open to experience-centric journeys. We are seeing growing interest in voluntary tourism, culinary tourism and craft tourism. People want to engage with destinations in a slower, more relaxed way. There is significant interest in places like Leh, Kashmir, Kerala and the North-East.”
Slow travel is ultimately about soaking in layered experiences—and India’s extraordinary diversity is offering travellers the space to pause, reflect and savour every moment.
Deepika Sahu has been a journalist for 29 years and she has worked with some of India’s leading media houses. Right now, she is independently engaged in content creation and curation. Twitter: @menondeepika | Instagram@moodydeepika | Facebook: Deepika Sahu
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