&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "WION Iconic Tourism Summit & Awards 2026: Union Minister Shekhawat says 'experiential travel' the next big trend")
Union Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said experiential travel is emerging as the next major trend in tourism, with travellers increasingly seeking meaningful experiences and seamless journeys rather than conventional sightseeing.
Speaking at the WION Iconic Tourism Summit & Awards 2026 in New Delhi on Wednesday (Sep 23), Shekhawat said tourists today want a more “experiential” and wholesome journey, while stressing that tourism growth must also remain sustainable and value-driven.
The next big trend in tourism
“Experiential travel is the next big trend,” Shekhawat said, pointing to changing traveller preferences and the growing influence of technology in deciding where and how people travel. He said travellers are increasingly using social media and artificial intelligence to discover new destinations but argued that technology cannot entirely replace the human element in travel.
“Human touch can never be replaced by AI,” Shekhawat said.
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The minister also highlighted the importance of the experience tourists receive once they arrive at a destination. He said even a single negative experience for a foreign visitor can create wider negative perceptions. “A foreign tourist having one bad experience creates negative vibes,” he said, stressing that every stakeholder in the tourism ecosystem needs to act with sincerity and honesty.
Tourism as an instrument of peace
Shekhawat also described tourism as more than an economic activity, calling it a “vital instrument for peace diplomacy”.
He said India's approach to tourism should draw from the country's traditional belief of “Atithi Devo Bhava”, or the idea that a guest is divine. “We need to reflect on our ancient belief: Guest is divine,” he said.
Shekhawat said the focus should ultimately be on value-based tourism that is sustainable, suggesting that the next phase of tourism growth must balance traveller expectations with responsible and lasting development.
The WION Iconic Tourism Summit & Awards 2026, presented by VFS Global in association with Red Hat Communications, brings together voices from government, diplomacy, aviation, hospitality and technology to examine the forces reshaping global travel, including mobility, tourism infrastructure, technology and changing traveller expectations.
