Beyond the bucket list: The changing face of global tourism

Even as global tourism continues its relentless growth (1.52 billion in 2025 and growing at 4 per cent per annum), opposition to its environmental, social and cultural impacts is also increasing (except, of course, in India, where your typical North Indian tourist continues to carpet-bomb the Himalayan states with plastic, beer bottles, condoms and uncouth behaviour).

I was therefore gladdened to learn that, in other countries at least, new forms of tourism are emerging that are environmentally sustainable, respect local cultures, customs and traditions, and reject the bucket-list, itinerary-driven form of travel that currently prevails. They offer better value for money and are more meaningful, relaxing and even therapeutic. I list below some of the new versions that are being embraced by increasing numbers of people, especially the younger generation.

Forest bathing (or land snorkelling)

Immersing oneself in a natural setting through quiet walks, without talking, is perhaps the best form of meditation. It reduces stress and improves one's mood.

Noctourism

Night tourism, both amidst nature and through city tours, offers a new perspective on our world. It includes night safaris, stargazing and constellation tracking. A survey in Tokyo (500 million tourists every year!) found that 67 per cent of visitors booked night tours.

Townsizing

Getting off the beaten track and away from the hustle and bustle, noise and congestion of metros in favour of small towns and villages, where one can experience the authenticity and charm of a laid-back lifestyle that is now almost a thing of the past. Increasingly preferred by Gen Z, this trend is also known as QUIETCATIONS and HUSHPITALITY. It is meant to counter corporate burnout and digital fatigue.

JOMO (joy of missing out) tourism

The opposite of FOMO (fear of missing out) in today's digital world. It is about prioritising oneself and doing and experiencing what YOU want, instead of following the herd and keeping up with the Joneses. It is the opposite of group or chartered tourism.

Slow travel

Rejecting the rushed, itinerary-based, tour-guide-dictated form of mass tourism in favour of a slower-paced experience and deeper involvement with the places visited. It means staying longer in one place and understanding its culture, traditions, cuisine and people, rather than rushing from one 'must-see' hotspot to another. (The average tourist at the Louvre in France gets to see the Mona Lisa for just ten seconds before having to make way for the next in line!) It is much more personally fulfilling, and one returns home refreshed.

Sleep tourism

This may come as a surprise to readers, but it makes sense when one learns that 100 million Americans do not get adequate sleep! In this genre, the top priority is to get a good night's sleep for a few days, detox and cut oneself off from the demands of daily urban existence. A survey by the Hilton group of hotels revealed that two-thirds of its guests sleep better in hotels than in their own homes. Hotels cater to this need by providing special mattresses, dimmed lighting, soundproofing and a Do Not Disturb ambience.

Regenerative tourism

When travel begins to heal as well as energise. Spas are the usual offering in the developed world, but in India, a different model is gaining popularity — wellness tourism, built around Ayurveda, Vipassana, Yoga and traditional Indian medical practices. This has existed for some time in states such as Kerala, but of late, Himalayan states, with their unique mountain climate, geography and pollution-free ambience, are also cashing in on this trend. A rapidly ageing and health-conscious population provides a good catchment area for customers.

Dark tourism

Sadly, there are revenue-generating opportunities even in human tragedies, and dark tourism is one such product. It involves visiting sites of conflict, accidents and other tragedies. Initially prompted by a desire for closure, and a search for understanding and emotional resolution (Jallianwala Bagh, the Union Carbide plant in Bhopal, the World Trade Center in New York, which receives 40,000 visitors a day, and the Holocaust Museum), it has now assumed macabre dimensions. Hundreds of Zionist Israelis have been visiting the front lines to witness the bombing, shelling and destruction of Gaza in real time.

Pregnancy tourism

This may sound freakish, but it exists and is a by-product of geopolitics and poverty. It involves pregnant women travelling to certain countries to deliver their babies in order to exploit the jus soli (citizenship by birth) principle, which forms part of the immigration laws of most countries. In the US, about 320,000 babies are born to mothers who are either illegal immigrants or are there on temporary or tourist visas. That constitutes 10–12 per cent of all births in the US. No wonder Trump has been trying his best to change the laws.

A version of this is rumoured to exist in Ladakh, too, though no evidence of this exists. It is claimed that women from Europe (especially Germany) travel to the Aryan Valley, where the Brokpa (also known as Drokpa) community lives, to conceive children with local men. The Brokpas are said to be direct descendants of soldiers from Alexander's army and to have pure Aryan blood. (Similar claims are made about residents of Malana village in Himachal Pradesh's Kullu district.) The idea is to have pure Aryan children. Geneticists are not even sure of these claims, and, for all we know, this may just be a ploy to boost tourism to the valley!

It is, however, heartening to note that more and more people are beginning to realise the value of nature, the importance of authentic indigenous ways of life, the benefits of a slower pace of life and the need to leave behind a smaller ecological footprint. Maybe we in India will wake up to this one day, too.

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Avay Shukla is a retired IAS officer and author of The Last Sky — Countdown for an Endangered Planet and other works. He blogs at avayshukla.blogspot.com