Kolkatans were always known for their love for packing their bags and going travelling.
New research shows that the trend now is cultural tourism, which has been on the rise over the past two years. For many embarking on such trips, the destination is not just about where they are going, but about what they want to feel.
In a survey conducted by global travel aggregator Skyscanner, called the India Culture Travel Index, 69 per cent of people from Kolkata feel festivals are their identity, such as the Durga Puja—which has the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage tag in 2021—due to which they want to experience other such religious festivals across the world.
Destinations in East India that are doubling up as cultural travel destinations include Puri for the Jagannath Temple, Kohima for its natural habitat, and the Hornbill Music Festival.
53 per cent of Kolkata's travellers opt for food, culture outings, and heritage trails while travelling, and 52 per cent travel to spiritual sites.
In recent years, 76 per cent travellers from Kolkata say their interest in culture-led travel has grown, while 50 per cent have reported great pride and motivation to plan cultural heritage trips. This also includes cultural trips to international destinations like Japan, Vietnam, Italy, Egypt and France.
“For Kolkata travellers, culture is no longer just part of the destination, it is increasingly becoming the reason for the trip. Kolkata has always been a city where celebration, history and tradition are woven into everyday life. It is therefore unsurprising that festive culture has emerged as the city’s defining cultural identity among travellers," said Neel Ghose, Travel, Trends and Destination Expert, Skyscanner India.
Religious places of travel or pilgrimages were always a family trip, but now, individuals and groups of people are also keen on understanding the historical significance of places within the country through travels.
“People are really not going into the malls or shopping, that they are getting everywhere. The trend has changed in the last two and a half years. People are looking at Africa and Turkey, where there are monuments. In India, families with members of all age groups travel to religious places to teach youngsters about religion and cultural history of India," said Anil Punjabi, Chairman, Travel Agents Federation of India.
Social media platforms like Instagram and YouTube have also played a big role in creating aspirations among people.
The focus is on showing the experience of a travel destination beyond the beauty of the place. History and culture told through interesting ways in the visual form have been the game-changer.
The focus is exploring places that you may have seen in the reel world and capturing similar experiences alongside family and friends on such cultural trips.
Travel agents and planners in the state see the shift towards culture tourism as a big opportunity to garner the attention of Kolkata’s travellers, who are on a quest to tap into an unexplored cultural ethos of their holiday destinations.
