Experiential travel – concerts, sports, festivals tourism- in India has significantly increased, with travellers, particularly millennials and Gen Z, seeking meaningful experiences.
More than 70% of travellers prioritize unique experiences over material possessions, highlighting a substantial shift in travel preferences toward immersive experiences.
atlys, a leading visa processing platform, has reported a significant uptick in visa applications driven by travellers seeking out global concerts, sports events, and festivals. This shift highlights the growing preference for experiential tourism, where people travel to immerse themselves in unique events and cultural celebrations rather than traditional sightseeing.
According to the OECD’s Tourism Trends and Policies report, the focus on experience-driven tourism has significantly increased, with travellers, particularly millennials and Gen Z, seeking meaningful experiences. The report highlights that over 70% of travellers now prioritize unique experiences over material possessions, indicating a significant shift in travel preferences.
A defining trend with the experiential luxury travel surge is the phenomenon known as ‘gig tripping,’ where music lovers cross borders to attend live performances.
Visa applications have spiked by 20% for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour alone, as fans prioritize live concerts as part of their travel experiences.
Coldplay’s global tour and Diljit Dosanjh’s Illuminati Tour have also contributed significantly, with Diljit’s tour alone driving a 10% increase in visa applications, particularly among young adults aged 25-35 from cities like Mumbai and Bangalore. This trend highlights how live performances are no longer just entertainment but are becoming pivotal reasons for international travel.
Similarly, sports-driven travel has seen a surge in visa demand. The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, along with races in the US, Mexico, and Brazil, has led to a 10-12% increase in visa requests from major Indian cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, and Hyderabad, especially around race weekends – key figures driving experiential travel.
Meanwhile, the 2024 Paris Olympics sparked a 60% surge in visa applications from India as sports enthusiasts geared up to witness the historic event firsthand.
Festivals remain another strong motivator for experiential travel journeys, with global events like Germany’s Oktoberfest driving an 18% rise in visa applications.
Cultural festivals such as Diwali and Durga Puja are similarly driving demand. Visa requests have increased by 15-18% as NRIs and international visitors from Europe, the US, and Southeast Asia plan trips to India to partake in these rich cultural celebrations. Mumbai and Kolkata, in particular, are set to see a high influx of visitors, underscoring how festivals are vital to reconnecting with cultural roots and family traditions and how they contribute to the rise of experiential travel.
Mohak Nahta, Founder and CEO of atlys, commented: “This surge in experiential travel marks a turning point in how people plan their journeys. It’s no longer just about destinations—it’s about the experiences that resonate with them, whether that’s a concert, a sporting event, or a cultural festival. At atlys, we’re thrilled to make the visa process easy and fast, so travellers can focus on making memories rather than getting stuck in paperwork.”
With the holiday season and year-end events approaching, atlys expects these trends to continue, as travellers increasingly look for opportunities to attend concerts, sports events, and festivals across the globe.
ixigo Data reveals a surge in Music Tourism: Travel bookings skyrocket for Coldplay & Diljit concerts
India is witnessing a surge in travel bookings as fans flock to highly anticipated concerts by global superstar Coldplay and Punjabi sensation Diljit Dosanjh. ixigo has observed a sharp rise in flight, train, and bus bookings and searches to key concert cities, reflecting the growing trend of experiential travel in India.
Mumbai, which will host Coldplay’s concert between 18-21 January 2025, has experienced a staggering 350% year-on-year (YoY) increase in flight bookings.
Chandigarh, one of the destinations for the DIL-UMINATI India tour, has seen a 300% YoY surge in flight bookings, leading to the demand for Diljit’s concerts as a part of the experiential travel trend.
Other DIL-UMINATI concert cities like Delhi, Ahmedabad, and Indore have recorded an average 100% YoY growth in flight bookings on their respective concert dates.
Aloke Bajpai, Group CEO, ixigo, shared his thoughts on this trend: “We’ve observed a significant shift in Indian travellers’ preferences, with more people willing to spend on experiences like music concerts and festivals. The passion for live performances is driving fans to travel, and this surge in bookings across flights, trains, and buses shows how music tourism is becoming a major force in the country.”
He added, ” This increased demand is also affecting airfares for major concert dates, with one-way non-stop flights from Bangalore to Delhi, typically priced around Rs 6,500, now reaching Rs 16,000 on October 26th. Likewise, a one-way flight from Mumbai to Delhi, which usually costs around Rs 5,700 in October, will now cost travellers Rs 12,000 on October 26th.”
Dinesh Kumar Kotha, CEO, ixigo Trains & ConfirmTkt, highlighted the rise in train bookings: “Fans of Diljit Dosanjh and Coldplay are opting for train journeys to attend the upcoming concerts. Train travel demand for Diljit’s shows in October & November in Delhi, Hyderabad, and Bangalore has seen an average MoM increase of 85-90% in train bookings. Coldplay’s Mumbai concert has driven a massive 800% YoY growth in train bookings between 18-21st January 2025.”
Rohit Sharma, COO, AbhiBus, shared insights on the rising bus travel demand: “Searches for bus tickets to Diljit Dosanjh’s concert destinations have spiked on our platform. Ahmedabad is leading with a week-on-week growth of 25-38%, followed by Pune and Bangalore. Notably, we are also witnessing strong demand from tier-2 cities such as Jaipur, Nagpur, Dehradun, Varanasi, Indore, Surat, and Kanpur for Diljit’s concerts.”
ixigo TRAVEL DATA | MUSIC TOURISM
| DILJIT DOSANJH | DIL-LUMINATI INDIA TOUR 2024 | |||
| ixigo Flights Data | |||
| Concert City | Concert Dates | Year-on-Year Increase in Flight Bookings | |
| Delhi | 26 Oct 2024 | 185% | |
| Hyderabad | 15 Nov 2024 | 17% | |
| Ahmedabad | 17 Nov 2024 | 115% | |
| Lucknow | 22 Nov 2024 | 25% | |
| Kolkata | 30 Nov 2024 | 66% | |
| Indore | 8 Dec 2024 | 150% | |
| Chandigarh | 14 Dec 2024 | 300% | |
| ConfirmTkt Data | |||
| Concert City | Concert Dates | Month-on-Month Increase in Train Bookings | Month-on-Month Increase in Train Searches |
| Delhi | 26 Oct 2024 | 75% | 87% |
| Hyderabad | 15 Nov 2024 | 148% | 159% |
| Ahmedabad | 17 Nov 2024 | 23% | 28% |
| Lucknow | 22 Nov 2024 | 10% | 12% |
| Pune | 24 Nov 2024 | 17% | 19% |
| Kolkata | 30 Nov 2024 | 29% | 33% |
| Bangalore | 6 Dec 2024 | 51% | 90% |
| AbhiBus Data | |||
| Concert City | Concert Dates | Week-on-Week Increase in Bus Searches | |
| Delhi | 26 Oct 2024 | 15-20% | |
| Hyderabad | 15 Nov 2024 | 18-20% | |
| Ahmedabad | 17 Nov 2024 | 25-38% | |
| Lucknow | 22 Nov 2024 | 10-25% | |
| Pune | 24 Nov 2024 | 25-35% | |
| Bangalore | 6 Dec 2024 | 20-30% | |
| Indore | 8 Dec 2024 | 10-15% | |
| Chandigarh | 14 Dec 2024 | 20-25% | |
| COLDPLAY | MUSIC OF THE SPHERES WORLD TOUR 2025 | |||
| ixigo Flights Data | |||
| Concert City | Concert Dates | Year-on-Year Increase in Flight Bookings | Month-on-Month Increase in Flight Bookings |
| Mumbai | 18-21 Jan 2025 | 355% | 171% |
| ConfirmTkt Data | |||
| Concert City | Concert Dates | Year-on-Year Increase in Train Bookings | Year-on-Year Increase in Train Searches |
| Mumbai | 18-21 Jan 2025 | 842% | 368% |
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