Indian travellers aren’t just booking trips anymore, they’re building deeply personal stories. As Skyscanner’s Travel Trends 2026 report shows, everything from supermarket aisles to skincare shelves, alpine escapes to under-the-radar towns, is shaping how India explores the world today. In an exclusive interview with Mashable India, Neel Ghose, Travel Trends and Destinations Expert at Skyscanner, breaks down the rise of passion-led travel, why “meaning and value” are the new luxury, and how AI, food culture, and hyper-local discovery are rewriting the Indian travel playbook for 2026.
1. Indians are travelling more than ever, but how has our travel changed in the last year or two?
Indian travel has evolved rapidly in the last couple of years, shifting from shared, interest-based experiences toward something far more personal. In 2025, travellers enjoyed exploring their hobbies and passions alongside others, but our Travel Trends 2026 report shows a move toward highly individualised journeys. People are now designing trips around their own routines, values and bucket lists, curating trips that feel more in tune with who they are and what they love. This shift comes at a time when travel demand remains strong, with 59% of Indian travellers planning to travel more in 2026, and many willing to spend the same or more on flights, accommodation and car hire while making smarter, value-led choices.
With the cost of living still top of mind, trips in 2026 are being built with purpose. They’re shaped around passions, priorities and a deeply personal sense of ‘worth it’. This is reflected in emerging behaviours such as Shelf Discovery, where nearly 8 in 10 Indians visit local supermarkets abroad, 73% explore convenience stores and 60% treat it as a cultural deep dive where every shelf tells a story. Wellness-led choices are becoming mainstream too through Glowmads, as 57% of travellers stock up on skincare abroad and almost half pick destinations for their wellness appeal.
This individuality is influencing where people go too, as Indians look beyond the obvious and lean into discovery. Under-the-radar locations are seeing remarkable growth: Jorhat in Assam has seen a +493% jump in searches, while Jaffna in Sri Lanka (+325%), Muscat in Oman (+211%) and Varanasi (+120%) are all rising fast. It shows a clear shift toward culturally rich, meaningful experiences that bring something new to each traveller’s story.
2. What are some global snacks or supermarket finds that Indians are currently obsessed with abroad?
Skyscanner’s Travel Trends 2026 data shows that Indians are increasingly gravitating toward snacks that blend novelty with local authenticity. Nearly 8 in 10 Indians browse supermarkets and convenience stores when they travel, and that habit is shaping how they discover destinations. Nearly half (47%) the travellers say they do this to try unique flavours of global brands not sold at home, discover meals, snacks or drinks they can’t get in India (44%), and try local versions of familiar products (43%) — whether that’s a regional twist on a favourite drink or a cherry-cola Fanta.
Local grocery aisles offer a simple, authentic window into everyday culture, and these small moments of discovery — like stumbling upon seaweed-wasabi cassava chips or a cult local chocolate — are becoming an integral way travellers understand and enjoy a place. It’s a trend we see growing.
3. If you had to describe India’s travel mood in one word for 2026, what would it be?
I would describe the mood as “Personal”. Travellers are shifting from last year’s focus on shared, collective experiences to trips shaped around their own routines, values, and curiosities. As highlighted in our Travel Trends 2026 report, people are now choosing destinations based on personal markers — from Glowmads, where travel doubles as a beauty ritual with travellers stocking up on skincare and exploring cult beauty stores, to Destination Check-In, where the stay becomes the star; 82% of Indians said they actually choose a destination because of a standout hotel.
Trends like Shelf Discovery, where grocery aisles become cultural deep dives, and Altitude Shift, with 92% dreaming of year-round alpine escapes, further show how passions and priorities are shaping where Indians go next. This move toward self-defined travel is also visible in search patterns, with emerging destinations like Jorhat (+493%), Jaffna (+325%), Muscat (+211%), and Varanasi (+120%) gaining attention. It reflects a broader sentiment: Indians want journeys that feel uniquely theirs, not versions of anyone else’s.
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4. What are the top three travel trends that will define how Indians explore the world in 2026?
● The rise of passion-led travel experiences: Travel is becoming an expression of personal interests. Indians are choosing itineraries around what they love — whether that’s beauty (57% buy skincare abroad), the mountains (92% dreaming of alpine escapes), or even book- inspired travel, with 8 in 10 considering literary getaways. It’s travel as an identity, not just an Itinerary.
● The rise of food-driven cultural exploration: Food is increasingly the gateway to culture. Nearly 8 in 10 Indians explore supermarkets abroad, and 73% browse convenience stores, turning grocery aisles into a window into local life. It’s one of the most authentic (and delicious) ways people understand a destination.
● The rise of soulful escapes: Travellers are seeking places that help them pause, connect, and feel something real. This is powering the rise of meaningful, under-the-radar destinations and slower travel styles where culture, nature, and self-discovery take centre stage. Searches for Jorhat (+493%) and Varanasi (+120%) are climbing fast, showing how travellers are following their curiosity toward places that offer depth, stories and a sense of something real.
5. What’s your personal favourite destination to experience ‘Shelf Discovery’? Could you tell us about a local culinary/grocery store experience that changed the way you think about Travel?
Japan stands out as my favourite destination for ‘Shelf Discovery’. A simple visit to a neighbourhood konbini (Japanese convenience store) or supermarket shows how everyday grocery shelves can reveal the rhythms and preferences of a culture – from seasonal snacks to unique local flavours. An experience that stayed with me was realising how these small, local store visits often offer a more authentic glimpse into a destination than traditional sightseeing. It’s why, in our report, we highlight how travellers increasingly seek these hyper-local, low-effort, high-delight moments – because grocery aisles often tell the story of a place just as vividly as its major attractions.
6. How does this pop-up reflect Skyscanner’s outlook on travel and culture?
For Indian audiences, the connection between food and travel resonates deeply, as cuisine often shapes how we experience and remember places. The Skyscanner Snack Transit taps into that emotion, inspiring travellers to explore beyond borders and discover the world, one flavour at a time.
Attracting over 2,000 visitors in Delhi and Mumbai and featuring 3,000+ snacks from 16 countries, the Skyscanner Snack Transit brought to life the belief that travel is ultimately a gateway to culture, discovery, and connection. At its core, the pop-up demonstrates Skyscanner’s conviction that travel is not just about getting from A to B, but about engaging with global cultures, sparking inspiration, and building memorable moments. Snack Transit turns that outlook into a multisensory experience, one that reflects our mission to help travellers everywhere explore the world more openly and confidently.
7. Everyone’s talking about AI travel tools, but how exactly are people using AI to plan smarter trips? Can it really replace a travel agent?
We’re at the start of a new era of travel search where AI is making planning faster, personalised, and far more accessible. What was once a time-consuming process is now more intuitive and efficient. Our Travel Trends 2026 Report found that 86% of Indian travellers are confident using AI to plan and book their trips – the highest globally among Skyscanner markets, reflecting just how naturally travellers in India are embracing technology as part of their travel routine. We’re seeing AI evolve from being assistive to taking a more agentic role in travel planning – guiding, curating, and simplifying decisions for travellers.
In practice, so far, AI has proven most useful at two points in the travel journey: at the inspiration and discovery phase, and at the customer service phase. The middle phase where travellers search, choose and book, is still an area that requires development, but is also one where Skyscanner is best positioned to offer powerful insights and data for, to back the coming wave of AI travel planning. Travellers still need reassurance that they are making the right choice so trust is still critical, and that will be the area that Skyscanner continues to focus on, in our mission to become the world’s number one travel ally.
8. What’s one underrated AI hack on Skyscanner that most travellers don’t know about but Should?
We have several mature AI-powered services operating at scale in areas such as destination recommendations, flights, and hotel rankings. Plan your trip with AI: Our app-exclusive tool, powered by OpenAI’s ChatGPT, lets travellers describe their ideal getaway, for example, “a quiet beach town for a soulful retreat,” or a “destination for skincare finds,” and instantly receive a curated list of three destinations complete with details and visuals, directing them to Skyscanner’s flight search page to compare the best prices.
Skyscanner “Vibe Feature” powered by AI, is embedded within the ‘Everywhere’ search, where it automatically categorises destinations based on their atmosphere and presents them tailored to the user’s preferences. For example, with filters for preferences such as “Beach”, “Arts and Culture” or “Underrated destination,” users can quickly find their ideal travel destinations.
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