‘Hobbiday’: What Is This Newfound Travel Trend of 2024?

As quoted by the news publication India Today, “Plain holiday is passé”. New year means new travel trends will be gripping the wanderlust minds. Out of the many intriguing travel trends of 2024, one interesting and latest travel trend forecast is ‘Hobbiday’, especially in India.

Intrigued by what ‘Hobbiday’ is?

The word is a portmanteau of two words – hobby and holiday. This is the next travel trend that Indian tourists are looking forward to, an intimate and tailored experience over a plain holiday of same-old sightseeing and generic activities. Indians have so many long weekend holidays in 2024 to plan their next vacation and a Hobbiday in India or abroad.

Remember the pandemic times when we had time to take a deep interest in our hobbies like baking and gardening? While we are back to our regular desk jobs, these hobbies are still a jovial escape. The top industry travel trends for 2024 show that travellers will want more soul-filling and centring experiences on their trips. One thing that could make any vacation better is a ‘tailored experience’.

Modern travellers are done with passive sightseeing. To truly enjoy a vacation destination they would rather prefer some engaging activity, especially something local. There has been a rising demand for holidays that cater to such personal hobbies. Or as Sajin Nashwad, Director of Akbar Travels Pvt. Ltd. says, “Whether it’s the thrill of driving experiences or other niche interests, these tailored vacations cater to individual preferences, creating a more fulfilling and rejuvenating experience. This trend has notably gained momentum since the onset of the Covid era, emphasising a desire for meaningful and personally enriching escapes.” And travellers are ready to pay extra for these customised travel itineraries as well.

Hobbiday Experiences in India

Cooking

Cooking is one favourite hobby for many people. Remember recalling your inner chef in the lockdown? Whipping out Dalgona coffee and trying the craziest recipes. But this holiday you can try out your hand at making something more unique yet local. Many luxury hotels all over India will feed into your hobby of cooking with their sought-after cooking-based activities.

For example, the Leela Palaces Hotels and Resorts chain across India offers cooking/ baking masterclasses for kids as well as adults. The Oberoi chain goes a step further by offering chef-accompanied ‘Indian Cooking and Spice Market Tour’. The Oberoi Delhi takes guests on a tour of Asia’s largest wholesale market Khari Baoli while The Oberoi Mumbai has a drive through Mumbai’s Lal Baugh. Make hotel bookings online at one of these luxury properties to try your hand at some immersive local cooking experience.

Gardening

For many, gardening is a therapeutic hobby. Several hotels and retreats have dedicated gardening spaces or nurseries. Here visitors can sign up for hours or day-long gardening activities, right from preparing soil, repotting plants or any other work. Some activities even go as far as growing your own salad in the entirety of your stay.

Pottery

One of the oldest traditional occupations in India, especially in Rajasthan, is now an enticing hobby for many Indian tourists as well as foreign tourists. Learning the traditional ways of making the clay, spinning the wheel and making a structure yourself does sound like a fun activity. Some heritage stays in Rajasthan offer pottery classes by actual local artisans. You can collect these designs and actually take them home with you once they have been dried overnight. For pottery enthusiasts, it is best you add a one-day excursion to any pottery village nearby to learn the intricacies of this art form.

Photography

In this digital age, you don’t need to roam around with a professional DSLR camera to pursue your passion for photography. Mobile phone cameras are all you need to call out your inner photographer.

You don’t need some dedicated specialists to guide you in this hobby. Just make sure to book a holiday to a mesmerising beautiful destination and capture its beauty with your lens.

Dancing

Traditional dance — Learn traditional dancing in India
Image Credit: MOROZ NATALIYA

Well, India with its varied cultures is like a kaleidoscope for travel enthusiasts. For them, one way to explore Indian culture is by learning the traditional dance form of the tourist destination you are visiting. On your visit, you can definitely find a special traditional dance workshop happening and enrol yourself. A dance crash course is all you need to fulfil your love for dancing on a Hobbiday in India.

Attending Music Concerts

To no one’s surprise, Gig-tripping is one of the biggest travel trends of 2024. Music lovers from far and wide are ready to travel to watch their favourite artists perform live, both for traditional and modern-day music. Plan your next India holiday to one of South India’s culturally exclusive cities where you can enjoy some Carnatic music or high up in North India for some Pahadi music. For concerts, especially of foreign artists which are held in major cities, fans come in from all over India. For example, the Justin Beiber concert in Mumbai had thousands of visitors from outside Mumbai. Taking advantage of affordable Mumbai Tour Packages, many also planned to explore the city by extending their stay.

Reading Tours

If you are a book lover and love travelling too, combine your favourite hobbies for an exciting Hobbiday in India – a reading tour. Find out where your favourite author is doing a reading tour for their new book. Plan your travel itinerary accordingly and spare some time to explore one leg of their reading tour in between your sightseeing and activities.

Mixology

Want to enjoy your hobby of preparing and serving cocktails or drinks? Mixology classes are the best way to shape your amateur bartending skills. Prominent hotel chains that have their own in-house bars and mixologists do offer guests a chance to try out their hand at bartending.

Well, it is very important that we cater to our interests and hobbies from time to time. It helps us detach from the everyday monotony and release happy hormones. Also if you are lucky enough you will get to make new friends from all over the world who share the same interests as you.

However, before planning your Hobbiday, make sure to keep some things in mind like making proper enquiries regarding all the details for the workshop/ class that you will be attending. Be aware of their timings, whether they will provide gears, etc. Also, check their reviews and ratings online before you book with them.

Whether you are looking for a hobbiday or just a relaxing getaway, it is important to make sure you get all your travel bookings beforehand. Travelling to a foreign country? Apply for any visa online quickly. Want to save on your travel? Book cheap flight tickets online beforehand. Want to get the best out of your vacation? Sit back and have some exciting time away.

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